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By Mark Angelo de Castro The basics of HIV Transmission ( ESSE ) states that if one of the four conditions (exit, survive, sufficiency, entry) is not satisfied, no transmission will occur. Insofar as going against these conditions is concerned, the use of condoms provides us with a very reliable line of protection to prevent HIV transmission by blocking the entry of the virus. But do condoms really work? There are inconsistencies in reports about the effectiveness of using condoms to prevent HIV transmission. Some studies say that if condoms are used correctly and consistently, they could provide up to 98% protection [1] , while others put its effectiveness at a lower 70% [2] . The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, without mentioning any quantitative data, states that “C onsistent and correct use of latex condoms is highly effective in preventing sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.” [3] It is important to note that the use of condoms does not provide an a...

By Kris Tangco The HIV crisis has gone on for four decades, and for four decades the world has struggled against it. Doctors, scientists, educators, policy makers, writers, artists – people of all walks and all colors have, in their own ways, sought to make sense of this crisis and its relationship with society. From citizens to states, from medicine to prayer, from cures to cries for reform, people’s visions of how to respond to the crisis are as diverse as the people who bear its scars. The goal of this series is to give you a glimpse of these visions: the roles people of different passions and disciplines have played in this crisis that, as of January 2017 as recorded by the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau, is infecting 28 Filipinos daily. The HIV crisis in the Philippines requires urgent attention due to increasing rates of HIV infection, in contrast to a worldwide trend of plateauing or decreasing rates. Moreover, of the 26 Filipinos daily who contract HIV, 8 of them a...