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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Tuesday, May 9, 2017
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ILOILO City – In Western Visayas one person is diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) every 15 hours, data from Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 showed.
From January 1986 to February 2017, DOH recorded 1,677 cases of HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) from provinces and highly urbanized cities in the region.
Of the 1,677 cases, 278 were full-blown cases of AIDS while 1,399 were asymptomatic cases (having or showing no symptoms).
Five percent or 46 of the total HIV and AIDS cases were recorded in February 2017 alone.
Iloilo City had the most number of both asymptomatic and AIDS cases with 378 and 61, respectively.
Iloilo province came in next with 260 asymptomatic cases and 53 AIDS cases, followed by Negros Occidental with 244 asymptomatic cases and 51 AIDS cases.
Dr. Elvie Villalobos, DOH-6 infectious disease cluster head, said the most at risk populations are the homosexuals and commercial sex workers who do not use protection.
“Here in Iloilo City damu kita cases nga nag gulowa kay malapit ang treatment hub naton ukon ang laboratory naton sa Western Visayas Medical Center. May access ang taga-city kay lapit sa sila,” explained Villalobos.
Bacolod City has 257 asymptomatic cases and 50 AIDS cases; Capiz, 101 asymptomatic cases and 14 AIDS cases; Aklan, 76 asymptomatic cases and 27 AIDS cases; Antique, 55 asymptomatic cases and 17 AIDS; and Guimaras, 28 asymptomatic cases and five AIDS cases.
Ninety-nine percent of the transmission is through sex and of the 99 percent, 76 percent is through MSM (males having sex with males), said Villalobos.
DOH data showed that majority of those infected in the region were males (1,556) as against 120 females.
Sixty two of them were 50 years old and above; 329 were 35 to 49 years old; 855 were 25 to 34 years old; 427 were 15 to 24 years old; while three were children below 15 years old.
Villalobos spelled out the HIV/AIDS as follows:
* abstinence
* be faithful (to your partner)
* consistent and correct use of condom
* do not use drugs
* early detection and education.
In the whole country, DOH recorded 41,315 HIV and AIDS cases since 2008./PN
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