TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) noted a high awareness on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention among women in Eastern Visayas region.
Citing key indicators from the 2017 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), PSA Regional Director Wilma Perante said 73.5 percent of women in the region knew that consistent use of condoms is a means of preventing the spread of the sexually-transmitted infection.
About 87.9 percent of women are also aware that limiting sexual intercourse to one faithful, uninfected partner can reduce the chance of contracting the infection.
“About 70.1 percent knew that both using condoms and limiting sexual intercourse to one uninfected partner are means of preventing HIV,” Perante said in a statement sent to reporters Thursday.
Eastern Visayas ranked second among the regions with high proportion of women aged 15-49 years old with knowledge on effective HIV prevention measures.
Cordillera Administrative Region is on top in terms of awareness.
The PSA culled out HIV-related data from 2017 NDHS, a study with women as responders designed to collect, analyze, and disseminate data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health.
Roderick Boyd Cerro, chief of the Department of Health regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, welcomed the survey result, saying that knowledge is one of the best tools to prevent the virus from spreading.
“If they are aware, they can make decisions not to engage in unprotected sex and avoid behaviors that can spread the virus,” Cerro said.
The official, however, noted that although many people are aware of HIV prevention, some infected individuals have no idea where to go to be tested.
The observation is backed by the PSA study that in the region, 42.1 percent of women know of a place where they can get an HIV test.
“Only 1.6 percent of women have ever been tested for HIV and received the results of their last test, and 0.9 percent were tested in the past 12 months and received the results of their last test,” the PSA reported.
To detect and treat HIV cases in the region, DOH has been working to establish treatment hubs in every province and city in the region for HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) affected individuals.
Presently, testing is available in some government and private hospitals in six provinces of the region.
The DOH will also open social-hygiene clinic in strategic areas as part of the services provided by the HIV/AIDS treatment hub.
At present, the region has only one operating treatment hub for the disease — the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City, Leyte.
A total of 181 new HIV cases were reported in Eastern Visayas in 2017 with 14 deaths due to AIDS-related complications, based on DOH report.
Deaths were reported in the cities of Tacloban and Maasin, Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, and Southern Leyte provinces
HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system. If untreated, a person’s immune system will eventually be completely destroyed, according to Avert, an organization based in the United Kingdom.
AIDS, on the other hand, refers to a set of symptoms and illnesses that occur at the very final stage of HIV infection. (Sarwell Meniano/PNA)
