MANILA – The Philippines’ Department of Health on Tuesday underscored the need for those who are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS to get themselves tested to help curb the epidemic in the country, according to state media.
HIV/AIDS refer to human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
The Philippine News Agency reported that Dr. Gerald Belimac, program manager of the DOH’s National AIDS/Sexuality Transmitted Infection Prevention and Control Program, as saying that while many people are now being tested for the AIDS virus because of increased awareness, many more others resist the testing.
“Ang unang challenge ngayon why we cannot meet that, we still have lower number, small number of people undergoing HIV testing. Dapat mas mapataas pa natin yon. Kaya we are continuously encouraging the Filipinos particularly those who have risk of having unprotected sex with other men to come out in the open and undergo HIV testing,” he said.
He said those at risk of contracting the virus are people who have partners that are infected; men who have unprotected sex with men, and those who engage in unprotected hetero-sexual sex.
The next problem, Belimac said, is when those who were diagnosed with HIV virus do not want to avail of the free anti-retroviral therapy (ARV) by the DOH.
The expert said this is unfortunate because the price of ARV is going down. The cost of ARV per patient is US$ 100 for a year.
Belimac said stigma is still the primary reason why infected individuals do not want to go to treatment hubs.
“The fear of being discovered that they are infected because people will give meaning to their infection, bading yan. Their sexuality will be discovered. Another reason is denial. They are not ready to accept they are infected already with HIV,” Belimac said.
From 1984 to June 2012, the DOH had registered a total of 9,964 HIV cases including 1,061 AIDS and 353 deaths. (PNA)
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