New HIV Victims in March Found Engaged in Paid Sex

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said that 95 individuals acquired the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after engaging in transactional or paid sex based on the March 2017 HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines (HARP) report.

Forty-six, or 48 percent of the total number, are males, and acquired HIV after they paid for sex.

Their age ranges from 21 to 64 years old.

Thirty-five individuals or 37 percent, including 33 males and 2 females, got transmitted with HIV after accepting payment for sex.

Their ages ranges from 20 to 42 years old.

Fourteen individuals, or 15 percent were males and acquired HIV after engaging in both types of transactional sex.

Their age ranges from 18 to 41 years old.

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“People who engage in transactional sex are those who report that they pay for sex, regularly accept payment for sex, or do both,” said DOH Spokespeson Dr. Eric Tayag

For the first three months of 2017, the DOH has already recorded a total of 266 HIV cases from transactional sex.

Since December 2012, there are already 3,788 HIV cases reported coming from engagement in paid sex.

Majority of them were males comprising 96 percent or a total 3,625, while the rest are females (4 percent or 163).

There were 2,036 (54 percent) who paid for sex; 1,150 (30 percent) accepted payment for sex; and 602 or 16 percent engaged in both.

As of March 2017 also, there were about 968 new HIV cases recorded by the HARP.

Adding this to the total number cases since 1984 when the first case of HIV was diagnosed in the country, the total now is 42,283 cases.