Don’t discriminate HIV-AIDS victims

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said yesterday churches should not discriminate those who have died from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS).

Speaking in a forum in line with yesterday’s observance of World Aids Day, Palma said he is considering of releasing a circular that would remind local dioceses to welcome to church those who have died from HIV-AIDS.

He said doing so would show the “mercy and compassion of God” and would reverse a practice that limits the entrance of some who died from HIV-AIDS.

 “I will certainly feel very sad and will certainly reprimand the priest if he would not welcome in the church people who died of such sickness,” Palma said.

 While there is no specific provision in the Canon Law that prohibits churches from accepting those who died of HIV-AIDS, Palma said it must have been misinformation that might have led to such stigma. 

 “It’s ignorance on the part of many, the fear. That may be the reason but certainly, we will educate our community and tell them we should really become that merciful church that reflects the love of God,” he said.

 Palma then challenged the faithful to reach out to the victims of HIV-AIDS and show them love despite their condition.

 “They are our brothers and sisters. We are one big family. We are here for them. We are one community. We affect one another for better or for worse,” he said.

 Palma reminded the public to live a decent life and protect themselves from being infected.

 The Cebu Archdiocese reiterated its opposition on the use of condom and other artificial methods of contraception, saying such means cannot prevent infection from HIV but rather pose a greater risk of exposure to the virus.

 The forum yesterday was organized by Cebu Caritas Inc., in partnership with the Philippines Catholic HIV and AIDS Network.

Status

According to the HIV/AIDS and Art Registry of the Philippines (HARP), Central Visayas ranked third among the regions with the most number of reported cumulative HIV cases in the country with 2,586 cases from January 1984 to October 2015.

 The region also ranked fourth in the country with the highest number of reported cases for October 2015 with 47 cases. A total of 558 HIV cases were recorded in Region 7 from January to October this year.

 HARP reported further that 99 percent of needle sharing among injecting drug users in the country were from Central Visayas.

 Out of the 2,379 females reported with HIV in the country, 249 were from Region 7.

 Based on HARP’s study this year, 22 are diagnosed with HIV every day.

In Cebu City, the sharing of contaminated needles has been the key cause of high prevalence of HIV.

 Dr. Iya Tac-an, social clinic physician of the Cebu City Health Office, said 1,720 people are HIV positive since 1989.

 Of the 1,720 people living with HIV, 74 percent (1,232 injecting drug users) of which was attributed to shared drug needles.

 “Nisaka gyod ang kaso sa atong HIV based sa atong monitoring,” she said.

 Tac-an said IDUs dramatically increased to less than 5 to 53 percent in 2010 from less than one percent from 1993 to 2009 based on Cebu City Health Department’s HIV registry and surveillance records.

 She added that a high number of those infected are men having sex with men. CHD recorded a 13 percent increase this year from 7.7 percent in 2013, 5.4 percent in 2011 and one percent in 2009. 

 On the other hand, establishment-based sex workers positive of HIV remain at one percent while freelance sex workers came out at four percent.

 Dr. Chamberlaine Agtua Sr. of HIV/AIDS Core Team (HACT) of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, said 684 of the 1,720 individuals found to be HIV positive are now undergoing antiretroviral treatment at the hospital.  The antiretroviral drugs are given for free. 

 Some of the 684 patients started their regular test and treatment since 2009. At least 94 percent of the 684 is male, while the six percent is female.

 Agtua said 547 of the patients got their HIV from sexual contact while 137 due to shared needles.

 He added that 10 percent or 68 people out of the 684 under treatment are AIDS positive.

 The HIV, once full-blown will become Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), destroys the human body’s immune system. Until now, it does not have any known cure.

 Unfortunately, he said people living with HIV are getting younger.

 Agtua said four of the 684 patients are below 18 years old. The youngest of them is seven-month-old baby boy followed by 2-year-old boy, 9-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy. All of them excluding the 16-year-old got the virus from their mothers.

 Agtua said 41 mothers have been diagnosed with HIV. HIV is highly transmitted through sexual intercourse, mother to child (during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding), and blood to blood products.

 This year, 24 people died of HIV/AIDS, Tac-an said.

 In a separate press conference Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, national director of AIDS-Free Philippines, said the cases of HIV/AIDS will increase once same-sex marriage is legalized in the country.

 “This will encourage more sexual activities not only involving one person but more,” he said.

 Bullecer dismissed the idea that a person who died of AIDS-related illnesses can still transmit viruses.

 “If the person with HIV/AID died, the virus cannot be transmitted to another person because viruses as well die 23 hours after the person’s death,” he said. — /JMO (FREEMAN)