More OFWs infected with HIV – DOH

MORE overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The agency’s latest data surveillance showed that in August 2012 alone, 25 HIV cases were reported. Of this number, 18 of the victims were men and seven were women.

“All them acquired the infection through sexual contact,” the DOH said.

It added that from January to August 2012, there were 222 OFWs carrying the deadly virus. They were included in the 10,514 HIV cases in the country.

Since the disease was detected in 1984,2,010 OFWs have acquired the virus that causes AIDS, comprising 19 percent of all reported cases.

Eighty-five percent (1,712) were asymptomatic while 15 percent (298) were AIDS cases.

The DOH said that for August, there were 272 new HIV Ab sero-positive individuals confirmed in the country, of which 20 were full blown AIDS cases.

One AIDS patient died in August, a 41-year-old man.

The department said that the cases were 39 percent higher compared to the same period last year, when the agency recorded 196 cases.

Most of the new patients were men. However, the 20 to 29 age-group had the most number of cases.

The Health department also noted that 51 percent or 138 of the reported cases were in Metro Manila. In most of the cases, the virus was acquired through sexual contact and needle sharing.

It also revealed that as of August, 167 blood units were confirmed positive for HIV.

“These are confirmed positive blood units, not blood donors. One donor can donate more than one blood unit. HIV positive blood donors may not be in the HIV and AIDS Registry unless they underwent voluntary counseling and testing as individuals,” the DOH said.

The department has warned that HIV-AIDS cases would balloon to 45,000 in 2015 because of unsafe sex practices of Filipinos. –Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz Reporter, Manila Times