272 HIV/AIDS cases monitored in August

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 272 new HIV/AIDS cases were monitored by the Department of Health (DOH) last August, bringing to 2,150 the number of cases in the country this year alone.

The DOH’s HIV/AIDS Registry showed that of the 2,150 cases, 118 have progressed into AIDS.

The 272 new infections are 39 percent higher than the 196 cases recorded in August 2011. Sexual contact accounted for 253 cases, followed by needle sharing among injecting drug users at 19 cases.

“Males having sex with other males (86 percent) was the predominant type of sexual transmission. Most (93 percent) of the cases were still asymptomatic at the time of reporting,” the registry showed.

Asymptomatic means the patients did not show symptoms of the disease.