Record 274 HIV cases last month

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) recorded a total of 274 human immunodeficiency virus cases in February, the highest ever recorded in one month in the country based on the Philippine HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Registry Report.

The DOH said the number included one death.

The new cases registered brought the total number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country to 8,850 since its first infection was diagnosed here in 1984.

According to the DOH, the latest recorded cases of HIV were 72 percent higher than the 159 cases posted during the same period last year.

Of the total figure, there were six new cases of AIDS. The one reported death for this month was a 41-year-old male, according to the report.

Majority of the 235 new HIV and AIDS patients acquired the fatal infection through sexual contact. About 87 percent of those infected were males having sex with males (MSM).

Homosexual contact resulted in 118 new cases, followed by bisexual contact with 87 and heterosexual contact with 30.

The remaining 39 new cases were found to have come from injecting drug use or needle sharing.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) accounted for 24 new HIV cases, with all of them reporting sexual contact as cause of the illness.

The report showed that among the OFWs, there were seven heterosexual, seven homosexual, and 10 bisexual contacts.

There were already 486 HIV cases reported with 12 already progressing to full-blown AIDS cases since January this year. –Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)