Beware of HIV at call centers – Suansing

An administration congresswoman has called for a congressional inquiry into the rising cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) that have affected young professionals aged 24 to 39 years old, many of them call center workers.

Rep. Estrellita Suansing (LP, Nueva Ecija) said the increase in number of call center agents affected with the dreaded HIV-AIDS virus can be a threat to public health.

She said the inquiry aims to heighten awareness among the high risk group and curb the spread of the disease.

The soaring HIV-AIDS incidence has appeared to target the call center industry.

The rise in cases came notwithstanding the passage by Congress of the bill seeking to strengthen the Philippine Comprehensive Policy on HIV-AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support.

The bill has called for the repeal of Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine Aids Prevention and Control Act of 1998. It proposes the implementation of a Philippine National HIV and AIDS plan.

Rep. Teddy Baguilat (LP, Ifugao), one of the authors of House Bill 5178, has called for a 1.2 billion annual budget to fight HIV-AIDS and provide medical help for those who are already infected with the disease.

“If we do not invest now, we are looking at a very dire situation in 2020 when we will need at least 4B a year for treatment alone,” Baguilat stated.

In pushing for a congressional inquiry, Saunsing noted that that five years after the publication of a study conducted by the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) on the health status of young professionals working at call centers and non call centers, there remains a rise in the number of reported HIV and AIDS cases, as reported by the Department of Health Philippine HIV/ AIDS Registry.

The 2010 study of the UPPI titled “Lifestyle and Reproductive Health Issues of Young Professionals in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu” looked into the economic, social, and health status of young professionals less than 35 years old, working at call centers and non call centers according to Suansing.

“As early as January 30, 2010, media outlets reported on the said study, citing in particular call center agents, on the rise of HIV cases in the Philippines,” said Suansing.

She noted that call center agents were particularly cited because of the results of the study that blamed the work environment and peer pressure as factors that make center agents “tend to involve in risky sexual behaviors.”