Dealing with the reality

THE worsening Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) problem in our country is real. According to the Department of Health (DoH), there were more than 11 thousand new HIV/AIDS cases in our country in 2017.

Given the social media phenomenon and its negative effect of becoming a platform that facilitate easier “sexual” encounters particularly among the Filipino youth, we can expect that the HIV/AIDS problem in the Philippines will continue to worsen unless effective interventions are made by and in all sectors our society.

Last week, the government put forward one of the needed interventions—a national policy on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS through the enactment of Republic Act No. 11166 or the HIV/AIDS Policy Act of 2018.

The enactment of the said law is clearly an expression of the government’s recognition that it is in the best interest of the Filipino public for current realities about the HIV/AIDS situation in our country be addressed by more effective measures.

One of the most notable provisions of the new law is the nonrequirement of parental consent HIV/AIDS testing for minors with ages from 15 years. Another significant provision is the free treatment of HIV/AIDS.

These are significant because it is obvious that one of the factors that contributed to the increase in HIV/AIDS cases is late detection of infections, which in turn is caused by cultural and legal restrictions on HIV/AIDS testing. Another cause of the worsening HIV/AIDS problem is the high cost of treatment.

Prior to the enactment of RA No. 11166, parental consent is required for HIV/AIDS testing just like for any other medical tests and treatments.

Some aspects of our culture hinder HIV/AIDS testing because generally, “sexual” matters are not openly discussed by children with their parents.

Given the new law, minors can be tested even without their parents knowing it.

The non-requirement of parental consent does not mean sacrificing the welfare of children. The government has given assurance that minors who will undergo HIV/ AIDS tests have the support of social workers and other needed health professionals.

Testing and early detection are key elements in addressing the HIV/AIDS problem particularly given the current realities in our country.

These are exactly the elements that are targeted by and in the new law. With the effective implementation even just of these elements, we can look forward to an improvement in the HIV/AIDS situation in our country.