Philippines struggles with social stigma of HIV tests

Government has been encountering difficulties in determining the actual number of HIV cases

Manila: In an effort to determine the exact number of HIV cases in the country, the Philippines’ Department of Health has offered free testing for the diseases.

Health Secretary Dr Janet Garin announced that the government would launch a renewed drive against the disease from May 11-15 by offering free testing for HIV in the country’s major urban centres of Metro Manila, Cebu City and Davao City.

Garin said the free testing, which is part of the activities marking the “National HIV Testing Week,” is available in all social hygiene clinics located in the three metropolis mentioned.

Garin said the government had been encountering difficulties in determining the actual number of HIV cases in the country due to certain reasons. Foremost among these is fear of being ostracised by the society.

A law passed in 1998, Republic Act 8504 or the Philippines Comprehensive Prevention and Control Act of HIV and Aids, prescribes that all testing for HIV would be undertaken on a “voluntary” basis only.

Based on a February 2015 report by the Department of Health (DOH), there are 23,709 confirmed HIV cases in the country. More than a quarter, or 26 per cent of these cases, are aged 15-25 years old.

According to Garin, one of the reasons why it is difficult for the Philippines to combat HIV is because the government does not have the exact number of people carrying the virus.

She said for the government to carry out proper interventions, it must have the right data on the number of people affected and where these people are located and concentrated.

“Since 2007, HIV cases have been rising at an alarming rate. One of the factors identified for this increase is the low testing rate among key populations. In 2013, the National Demographic Health Survey cited that only 2 per cent of women aged between 15049 years-old have ever been tested for HIV and had been informed on the results on the tests conducted on them,” Garin said.

Likewise, the surveillance study done by the DOH among key populations showed that only 8 per cent of males who have sex with other males, 15. 2 per cent of male sex workers, 5.4 per cent of trans-genders who are sex workers and 6.3 per cent of people who inject drugs; have accesses HIV testing services.

The study, conducted in 2013, cited some reasons why these people do not want to get tested. Among this is fear of public exposure of their HIV status as well as the social stigma that goes along with HIV testing. –GILBERT P. FELONGCO, CORRESPONDENT, Gulf News