HIV patient warns vs. internet sex sites

MANILA, Philippines – Magazine editor Wanggo Gallaga, a person living with HIV, warned the youth against having sex with strangers they meet through the internet.

Gallaga, who has openly talked about his sickness since 2008, said in an interview with ABS-CBN News that he engaged in casual sex with random strangers met through “internet pick-up sites.”

He says this may have been why he was infected with human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), a disease that damages the immune system.

HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact, sharing needles used for drug use, or passed on from mother to child.

After graduating from a prestigious university and experiencing a tough breakup, Gallaga said he frequented several gay “pick-up” sites on the internet.

Shopping for lovers

Registered users could swap information then decide to meet up for sex.

“[I had] more than 50, not more than a hundred [partners]. You would click his profile then ask for his numbers. Then you meet, then you can have it,” said Gallaga, the youngest son of film director Peque Gallaga.

“It was that easy then. It’s fast,” he said.

After bedding one partner after another, Gallaga said he became constantly ill. He was soon diagnosed with HIV.

“I want to be open about it. To make people aware that there are Filipinos being infected with [HIV],” he said, adding that he has made it his “mission” to teach people about safe sex practices to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.

“I hope that people learn from my story. If you cannot abstain, then you should protect yourself. Use condoms. You also have to choose who you have sex with. Having casual sex is really a risky business,” Gallaga said.

‘Silent epidemic’

The rise of internet usage, which makes it easier to find sexual partners online, was one of the risk factors that were found to contribute to the rapid spread of HIV in the country.

This is according to a 2007 Integrated HIV Psychological study cited by the Philippine AIDS Council last year.

The same study also found that the prevalence of drugs and alcohol among men who have sex with men (MSM) and the popularity of anal sex without condoms contributed to the spread of the disease.

According to latest data by the Department of Health, there are 4,200 confirmed HIV cases in the country, with 126 new cases in the past month alone.

Data by the DOH National Epidemiology Center (NEC) also revealed that HIV/AIDS cases increased by 143% from 2008 to 2009.

Most of the cases were male (88%), and most of them were in the 20 to 24 age group and from the National Capital Region (57%).

All HIV cases were transmitted through sexual contact, with 36% of cases transmitted through homosexual contact and 89% of cases caused by unprotected sex.

Other “vulnerable groups” are OFWs (making up 22% of total cases in May 2009), out-of-school youth, street children who are sometimes forced into prostitution, and MSM communities (which cross-cultural studies said comprise 10% of the Philippine population).

Is it real?

Though experts have warned of a possible HIV epidemic since 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently expressed doubt at the news.

“First of all, are they real? This supposed HIV epidemic?” she said during the launch of a new call center in Taguig City on Tuesday.

In a forum on HIV held in May 2009, Dr. Jessie Fanton of the Philippine AIDS Council confirmed that the Philippines is experiencing a “hidden but growing” HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Although the total HIV cases only consist of less than 1% of the Philippine population – making it a low-prevalence country -he said the numbers are still alarming.

“We will always below-prevalence because of the high population growth. But if you count warm bodies, it really shows an increase in HIV and AIDS cases,” he said.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, the number of HIV cases in the Philippines increased “tremendously” from one case in 1984 to 3,911 HIV cases in May 2009. Recent DOH data shows this number is still increasing.

Arroyo reportedly spent her day touring the country’s “Cyber Corridor”, with the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry–including call centers– as its backbone.

Call center agents and young urban professionals comprise a large percentage of those infected by HIV, because of their reported propensity to engage in casual sex.

Precautionary measures

Sec. Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, head of the Commission on Information and Technology, said they will be coordinating with the DOH and call center associations to curb the spread of HIV by addressing lifestyle issues.

“We have to look into it. The call center industry is putting a lot of programs to encourage the improvement of the lifestyle of the workers. Be healthy, good practices–that’s an ongoing initiative for them,” Roxas-Chua said.

Call center outfits have also taken their own precautionary measures.

Convergys, the largest call center chain in the country, reportedly conducts annual HIV testing for its workers.

The government is reportedly expected to prioritize workers’ health in profit-generating industries like call centers.

The BPO industry, which has created jobs for 446,000 workers last year alone, boasted $7 billion in total revenues for 2009, a leap from just $20 million in 2001. Reports from Jay Ruiz and Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News. With reports from Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.