ILOILO CITY — Iloilo province ranked second in the whole Western Visayas with 429 confirmed cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) as of 2017.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Maria Socorro C. Quiñon said the province is next to Iloilo City which has 531 HIV and AIDS cases.
Iloilo City, being a highly urbanized, has a separate registration from the province.
“This is very alarming but the positive is that, the people are already coming out to submit themselves to testing,” she said.
“And then, once they are found to be positive, there is another good news, we have medicines available for them,” she added.
The town of Oton has the highest cases with 22; Pavia, 21; Miag-ao, 20; Pototan and Passi City with 17 cases.
“But this is cumulative. Meaning to say, from 1986 up to December 2017,” she said.
Quiñon said men, aged 25-35, is still the group that dominates the infected cases due to men having sex with men.
“Their practice is considered as very high risk in terms of penetrative sexual intercourse and that is anal sex,” she added.
But Quiñon said that the Provincial Health Office (PHO) is currently strengthening its campaign on the organization of the support group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) in all towns to educate them on how to avoid HIV and AIDS.
Quiñon introduced the “ABCDE” education campaign, which stands for, A-Abstinence; B-Be mutually faithful to a single partner; C-Consistent use of condom; D-Do not do drugs, share needles or use alcohol and E for Education.
“If we can do all these, we will prevent the case of HIV and AIDS in the province, as well as national or worldwide,” she said.
Meanwhile, Quiñon called on those who are hesitant to undergo testing to visit their respective Rural Health Units as there are trained personnel who can perform the HIV testing.
“The result is confidential,” she said. (PNA)
