Old LY Site

By Rael Bustamante and Ronald Bugarin (Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/ShCVvQbQBDk ) The Philippines has yet to reach the plateau when it comes to diagnosis and treatment of Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV). The numbers are still growing and what is more alarming is the fact that there are more younger persons diagnosed with HIV.   According to the April 2019 HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines published by the Department of Health - Epidemiology Bureau, HIV infection among the age group of 15 - 24 nearly doubled from 17% in the ten-year period of 2000-2009 as compared to the last ten-year period (2010-2019) at 29%. From these figures, 96% of adolescents diagnosed with HIV were infected via unprotected sexual contact.  Some attribute the increase to the lack of a solid sex education system in our country as well as the conservative view of most Filipinos about sex which stigmatizes the use of contraceptive so much so that the youth of today are disempowered to choose safer

By Carlos Diego A. Rozul This July marks the 8th anniversary of LoveYourself’s amazing dedication to the HIV advocacy. On July 6, 2019, volunteers throughout the years has reunited once again to reconnect and re-orient themselves in what’s to come for the second half of 2019. LoveYourself’s lead for PrEPPY & Research, Danvic Rosadi ñ o highlighted the volunteers’ ability to dare, care, and share in his presentation on the organization’s achievements thus far. Without the relentless commitment of the volunteers to the organization’s core values, LoveYourself would not be able to serve 16,844 clients through its six community centers , and connect 914 PLHIVs to treatment and care as of June 2019. Through its various committees, LoveYourself is proud to continue its innovative approach to lessen the stigma surrounding HIV and testing. Through Caravan , Safe Spaces PH , Love Gala , and its partnerships with 12 CBOs nationwide, the organization is able to share its message of self-care