950 new HIV cases in May: DOH

July 18, 2018

Nearly 1,000 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been reported in the month of May, according to the Department of Health (DOH) Wednesday.

Based on the May 2018 HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines, there were 950 new HIV cases, lower than year-ago figures of 1,098.

For the January to May period, there are 4,680 new HIV cases, including 798 AIDS cases, and 169 deaths.

Of the total  number of May cases, seventeen percent or 166 had clinical manifestations of being advanced HIV infection or acquired immunodeficiency deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The DOH reported 30 deaths from HIV/AIDS for May.

Sexual contact remains as the predominant mode of transmission with 914 cases (96 percent), with 761 (83 percent) belonging to the males who have sex with males population.

Male-to-male sex accounted for 532 cases; followed by 229 from those having sex with both male and female; and 153 from male-to-female sex.

About one third (31 percent, 294) were from the National Capital Region (NCR). Calabarzon (17 percent, 163 cases), Central Visayas (10 percent, 94), Central Luzon (9 percent, 86), and Western Visayas (6 percebt, 61) round off the top five regions with the most number of newly diagnosed cases.

Seventy-three overseas Filipino workers were also diagnosed with HIVy, all of which were infected through sexual contact (20 male-female sex, 35 male-male sex, and 18 sex with both males and females).

Since 1984, there have been 55,282 HIV cases, with 5,866 AIDS cases and 2,628 deaths.  DMS