PopCom concerned over soaring HIV/AIDS cases
The Commission on Population ( PopCom) has expressed concerns over the soaring cases of HIV/ AIDS in the country, which posted a record high 841 in June.
In a statement, PopCom executive director Juan Antonio Perez III encouraged everyone to practice a healthy lifestyle and be responsible individuals by knowing their HIV status.
“Nationwide, there are testing centers and hygiene clinics that offer free HIV testing services and ensure the confidentiality of the results. Knowing one’s status will help an individual get early treatment and care,” Perez said.
He said that people should protect themselves from higher risks and also protect other people, especially their loved ones.
“Information dissemination is the key to conveying the correct message to everyone that HIV is preventable and that anybody can acquire the virus,” Perez added.
Based on the data of the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau, 841 cases of HIV were documented in June, breaking the record of 804 cases last January.
A total of 777 of these cases were transmitted through sexual contact, a majority of them among men who have sex with men, while 60 new cases were related to injecting drug users. The remaining four cases were mother-to-child transmissions.
“HIV is a virus that destroys the human body’s natural defense against diseases or infection, causing the immune system to weaken and not function properly. No human being, by age or by sex, is immune to HIV infection,” Perez said.
He added that healthy people can acquire the virus and if not treated properly, it could lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ( AIDS), which is the final stage of HIV.
To help curb the epidemic, PopCom has been conducting educational discussions on HIV/ AIDS integrated in its program components Adolescent Health Development (AHD) and Gender and Development (GAD).
The agency also educates young people on the risks of unprotected sex and how to prevent HIV contamination.
This strategy stands for abstinence from sex; be faithful to your partner; consult an adult; don’t use drugs nor drink too much alcohol, and education and early detection and treatment.