HIV cases surpass 1,000 for the second time in 2018: DOH

October 12, 2018

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases surpassed 1,000 for the second time this year after 1,047 HIV cases were recorded last August, according to the HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines (HARP) of the Department of Health (DOH).

In January, HIV cases were recorded at 1,021. Last year, the number of new HIV cases breached the 1,000 mark thrice.

The latest report said 17 percent or 176 had clinical manifestations of being advanced HIV infection or acquired immunodeficiency deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The DOH also reported 159 deaths from HIV/AIDS for August.

Sexual contact is the main mode of transmission with 1,022 cases (98 percent), with 887 (87 percent) being males who have sex with males (MSM).

Male-to-male sex accounted for 627 cases; followed by 260 from those having sex with male and female; and 135 from male-to-female sex. Needle sharing among injecting drug users accounted for 17 cases.

One third (31 percent, 328) of the new HIV cases were from the National Capital Region (NCR); followed by Calabarzon (17 percent, 173 cases); Central Luzon (11 percent, 119); Central Visayas (10 percent, 108); and Western Visayas (6 percent, 58).

Ninety-one overseas Filipino workers were diagnosed in August almost all of whom were infected through sexual contact (21 male-female sex, 46 male-male sex, and 22 sex with both males and females).

Since 1984, there have been 58,181 HIV cases, with 6,409 AIDS cases and 2,893 deaths. DMS