More HIV cases reported in February

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday an increase in the number of cases of  human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nationwide.

Data from the HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines showed a total of 751 HIV cases were recorded in February.

The figure was higher by 105 (16 percent) than the 646 cases recorded in the same month last year.

Of the 751 new HIV cases, a total of 116 have developed into AIDS, according to the DOH.

The latest cases brought to 1,555 the total number of HIV cases in the first two months of the year, with 119 deaths.

The DOH said 95 percent or 711 of the HIV cases in February were acquired through sexual transmission.

Men-having-sex-with-men accounted for the biggest number of the cases at 619 or 87 percent. 

The DOH said 358 of the cases acquired the infection through homosexual contact while bisexual contact accounted for 261 cases and 92 cases from heterosexual contact. 

Injecting drug use led to the HIV infection of 38 cases. Two of the cases were mother-to-child transmissions.

Metro Manila posted the highest number of cases with 295 (39 percent), followed by Calabarzon with 124 (17 percent) and Central Visayas with 100 (13 percent).

Overseas Filipino workers posted 63 cases in February. All of them acquired the infection through sexual transmission.

The DOH has recorded 31,911 HIV cases and 2,762 AIDS cases, with 1,649 deaths since 1984.