Six more test positive of HIV

CEBU, Philippines - Six new persons in Cebu City are found to be living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and that one of them is said to be symptomatic to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome this year, according to Dr. Ilya Abellanosa-Tac-an, head of the STD/HIV/AIDS Unit in the City Health Department.

She said that these include four males and two females who contracted the virus through sexual intercourse and the sharing of needles for injections.

According to her, since they started monitoring the disease in 1989 about 95 cases have already been reported in the city. Last year, they monitored 10 cases.

Dr. Tac-an, however, believes that there are more than these numbers of unreported cases.

HIV can be passed on through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk or through sex with someone living with the virus, sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment and the likes.

As for Dr. Rene Joseph Bullecer, executive director of AIDS-Free Philippines, he confirmed yesterday that from 1995 to last month, Central Visayas already has 273 cases. Since January of this year, AIDS-Free Philippines recorded 46 cases.

  “Ang pattern sa infection 10 or 15 years ago involved local entertainers, prostitutes, homosexuals. Pero karon lahi na, ni-increase ang kaso sa AIDS ug mas nagkadaghan kadtong naa’y same sex relation,” Bullecer said. – Elly Bolonos and Johanna T. Natavio/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)