DOH reports 104 new HIV cases

MANILA, Philippines – Amid continuing debate over the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 104 new cases last month.

The figure brings to 1,305 the number of HIV/AIDS cases this year alone, the DOH said. 

It is also 30 percent higher than the 80 HIV/AIDS cases registered in October 2009.

The DOH’s HIV/AIDS Registry showed that since January 1984, a total of 5,729 HIV cases – 852 of them have progressed into AIDS – had been reported. 

The registry showed that of the 104 new cases last month, 20 were overseas Filipino workers who had acquired the virus through sexual contacts.

“Males having sex with other males (78 percent) were the predominant type of sexual transmission…44 percent of the reported cases were from the National Capital Region,” the DOH said.

Of the 5,729 HIV/AIDS cases from January 1984 to October 2010, a total of 149 were through needle sharing among injecting drug users; 52 through mother-to-child transmission; 2,438 through heterosexual contact; 1,709 through homosexual contact and 980 through bisexual contact. The mode of transmission for the rest is unknown.

“From 2007 there has been a shift in the predominant trend of sexual transmission from heterosexual contact (27 percent) to males having sex with males (73 percent),” the DOH added.

The agency had observed the spread of the AIDS virus among injecting drug users in Cebu starting this year.

Dr. Gerard Belimac, DOH program manager for National AIDS/Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention and Control Program, said the recent statements of Pope Benedict XVI justified the use of condoms in certain cases, particularly to prevent the spread of AIDS.

Belimac said the use of condoms would likely help curb the AIDS virus that may boost the country’s anti-HIV/AIDS programs.

“That’s really a big welcome development for the AIDS community. It’s a good thing that they see pieces of evidence showing that condoms can help in the campaign against HIV,” he said.

Belimac added that even if the Pope’s stand may not easily sway the country’s Catholic hierarchy, it might influence the faithful.

“Somehow, it will affect the behavior of the people towards condoms as a means to curb the virus,” he said.

Taken out of context

The Catholic Church, through Novaliches Emeritus Bishop Teodoro Bacani, on the other hand, challenged the government to conduct a survey to determine if the majority of the Filipinos really wanted to use condoms or other contraceptives under the proposed Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.

Bacani said the people should be asked if they support the passage of the controversial proposed legislation.

He added the Catholic Church would be willing to spearhead the study.

“It is okay to have a survey but they should first explain to the people what are the contents of the (RH) bill because in the survey if they would be asked ‘do you favor family planning’ who would not say yes. But if they would explain that this would lead to abortion. This is not being explained in the survey, so they should really explain this clearly,” Bacani said.

He also sees no problem if the recommendation for a survey be brought to the attention of the lawmakers. “I do not see any problem. We are not afraid of the truth.”

Bacani said the Catholic Church and the government has the same intentions such as better health for women and children but differ only on the methods used.

Retired archbishop Oscar Cruz, for his part, said the statements of the Pope over the use of condoms should not be taken out of context.

Cruz particularly appealed to advocates of RH bill not to promote the approval of the measure just because of the Pope’s statements.

Cruz said supporters of the RH Bill had capitalized on the Pope’s statements to convince the conservative Catholic Church to soften its position on the proposed legislation.

Cruz maintained the Pope’s statement over the use of condoms was taken out of context.

“Please when we argue (about this issue) let us not take half-truths and arguments because we lose that way. So it is very clear that there has been no change in Church teaching on this matter. Sorry to disappoint those who are hoping otherwise,” he said.

Cruz though admitted the papal remarks over the use of condoms had in some way, affected the Catholic Church’s campaign against contraceptives.

“I have to admit to you that this issue…has not helped the cause against RH bill in fact, it has given some bullets to those in favor of RH bill because it mentioned condoms,” he said.

‘Vatican sources’

One pro-RH bill lawmaker, Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, took the initiative of mentioning the papal statements in sponsoring the measure during the first hearing by the House committee on population and family relations yesterday.

Bello even thanked the Pope for finally agreeing to the use of artificial contraceptives.

“We are very happy to witness, that the Pope has come around to our point of view with respect to certain issues such as the use of artificial means of contraception,” Bello said.

Bello said his “sources in the Vatican” revealed the question over the use of condoms was posed to the Pope that was “specially intended for our session.”

Bello’s remarks however was not found amusing by committee chairman Biliran Rep. Rogelio Espina, along with Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez and Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing.

“We should not abuse the parliamentary powers that we have by invoking the Vatican. Let’s wait for him (Pope) to clear up (his statements). It’s inappropriate (to) ridicule the Pope,” Bagatsing said.

Golez supported Bagatsing’s manifestation, and said: “I think we should be respectful of our religious leaders and not quote them in vain.”

Espina said he was not comfortable with the remarks.

Bello, however, clarified he was just “kidding” when he made the remark.

During the hearing, Fr. Eric Gelino of the John Caroll Institute on Church and Social Issues clarified the Pope was not changing the Catholic Church’s stand against artificial means of birth control and abortion.

Gelino said the Pope was speaking more in the context on the prevention of HIV/AIDS where a male prostitute could use condom as “a first step to humanizing oneself.”

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, for his part, welcomed the papal remarks over the use of condoms.

But Sotto stressed the RH bill now being tackled at the House of Representatives is unconstitutional.

Sotto stressed the protection of human life is mandated under the 1987 Constitution, and that the moment a life is conceived, it should be protected.

“On that issue whether it’s on the verge of abortion or what have you, the point is it’s in the Constitution. It’s clear that (life) starts upon conception. In other words, if there is a meeting (of the sperm and the egg cell), there is already conception,” Sotto stressed.

Sotto made the pitch as he pushed for the start of the debates for the Protection for Unborn Child of 2010 at the Senate.

Sotto argued the use of condoms can be treated as a moral issue, but the use of other contraceptives is a violation of the Constitution.

Sotto clarified his views can be correlated to his support for laws that support women’s rights and other related concerns. –-Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star) with Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan, Christina Mendez