316 new HIV cases recorded

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 316 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were recorded by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) of the Department of Health (DoH) last September, it was reported yesterday.

The Philippine HIV/AIDS Registry said the figure is 25 percent higher compared to the same period last year with 253 cases recorded.

Forty-two of the 316 reported cases were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who acquired the infection through sexual contact.

“Most of the cases (96 percent) were males. The median age was 28 years. The 20 to 29 year age-group had the most number of cases. Fifty-four percent or 170 of the reported cases were from the National Capital Region (NCR),” the registry said.

“Reported modes of transmission were sexual contact (312 cases) and needle sharing among injecting drug users (4 cases),” it added.

Males having sex with other males were the predominant type of sexual transmission with 171 cases.

Out of the 316 new cases of HIV, 10 were reported as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases.

Furthermore, 2,355 out of the 2,466 cases were males and the 20 to 29 year old age group had the most number of cases for 2012.

“For the male age group, the most number of cases were found among the 20-24 years old (15 cases), 25-29 years old, (26 cases), and 30-34 years old (18 cases),” the Philippine HIV/AIDS registry said.

The overall figure for newly diagnosed HIV cases since January up to September has reached 2,466.

But no death was recorded for September. –JENNY F. MANONGDO, Manila Bulletin