New cases of HIV in the Philippines hit record high with 1,098 in May 2017
By Nel Lee Hadlocon An alarming increase of HIV cases, with now an average of 35 per day, has been reported to the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) in May 2017. This is 48 percent higher compared with same time last year and is the highest recorded number of cases since 1984. Sexual contact continues as the top mode of transmission. Nine hundred eighteen (918) reported cases were men having sex with men. Five hundred fifty-eight (558) of these cases were through homosexual contact. Bisexual contact accounted for 360 of the total number of cases, heterosexual contact for 150, and sharing of infected needles among injecting drug users for 27. Thirty (30) percent of these cases were from the 15 to 24 age group, while more than half were from the 25-34 year age group. Photo by Carlos Diego A. Rozul Many individuals find it difficult to get themselves tested. Existing laws in the country require individuals age 18 and below to secure parental consent prior to gettin...