Paid sex to blame for most HIV cases in October 2017

PAID sex was behind most of the 918 cases of Filipinos found to be carrying (HIV) in October 2017.

These cases brought to 9,217 the AIDS in the same month. partial total for last year of the numSexual contact continued to be ber of Filipino HIV carriers, accordthe main mode of transmission ing to the Department of Health with 873, most of which involved (DoH)-Epidemiology Bureau. men-having-sex-with-men (MSM)

They made for an average of 31 with 753. recorded a day, the HIV and AIDS Homosexual contact had the Registry of the Philippines report highest number with 528, folof the DoH said. lowed by bisexual contact with

Among the newly-reported cases 228, while heterosexual contact are 129 suffering from acquired imled to 117 cases. -

There were 41 deaths from HIV/ viduals who acquired HIV through paid or transactional sex.

It said 65 men were infected after they paid for sex.

Twenty-nine men, on the other hand, acquired HIV after accepting payment for sex.

There were also 35 cases of infection acquired through injected drug use, one case of mother-to-child transmission and four cases had no data.

Majority of the cases were recorded in Metro Manila with 323, followed by Calabarzon (Cavite, - zon) with 153, Central Luzon with 110, Central Visayas with 81 and 179 from various parts of the country.

A total of 70 overseas Filipino workers were also found to have acquired HIV/AIDS, the majority of whom were infected through sexual contact.

From January to October 2017, the DoH reported a total of 9,217 HIV cases, including 1,150 AIDS cases, and 415 deaths.

Since 1984, there have been 48,839 HIV cases, including 4,815 AIDS cases, and 2,384 deaths.