Unsafe sex main cause of AIDS

CEBU, Philippines - Engaging in unsafe sex was found to be the main cause of the proliferation of Human Immuno-Defeciency Virus (HIV) in the entire country since 1984 to 2011.

Ninety 90 percent of the 6,326 persons with HIV admitted they got the virus from their unsafe partners.

With this, Department of Health (DOH) 7 Director Susana Madarieta advised the public to refrain from engaging in unsafe sex to avoid being part of the statistics.

In Cebu City, the number of people with HIV went up, although those monitoring sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) led by Dr. Ilya Abellanosa-Tac-an said the increase in number could be because of the free check-up they are offering.

Of the 6,326 persons with HIV from 1984 to February this year, about 90 percent were infected through sexual contact and only one percent or 52 persons got the virus through mother-to-child transmission.

Local health officials have encouraged guest relations officers (GROs) of entertainment establishments and beer houses to have a weekly check up at the STD section.

The FREEMAN learned from a GRO in a beerhouse at Cebu City’s downtown area that a lot of them do not have health certificates.

“Daghan kaayo sa among mga kauban uy nga walay mga health certificates. Patagoon ra man sila kun dunay inspection,” said the worker. (They just hide when health inspectors come.)

Also, she said, these inspectors rarely conduct any inspection so managers of these establishments are not afraid to accept GROs without health certificates.

Data released by the DOH-Manila showed that 2,546 were infected with HIV through heterosexual contact, 1,993 through homosexual contact and 1,173 through bisexual contact.

From 1984, of the 6,326 reported HIV cases, 863 had blown into Acquired Immune-Defeciency Syndrome (AIDS). Also, 4,984 who have HIV are men. More than 600 of the 863 AIDS cases are also men.

Of the 311 HIV positive cases this year, six were reported as AIDS. —/JPM (FREEMAN)