Prescy Senoc, health education and promotion officer of Davao City AIDS Council (davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY — The City Health Office (CHO) reported a rapid increase in cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which lead to the dreaded Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the city as of the first quarter of this year.
Prescy Senoc, health education and promotion officer of Davao City AIDS Council said that from “silent and growing”, HIV and AIDS have become “fast and furious”.
“Davao City is now challenged by the rising cases of HIV and AIDS,” Senoc said.
Dr. Jordana Ramittere, head of the Reproductive Health and Wellness Center of CHO reported that as of January to March this year, there were already 125 HIV and AIDS cases confirmed in the city.
She also said that HIV and AIDS rate is high on the age of 25-34 years old.
She said that victims are mostly male with a total of 122 HIV and AIDS cases and three cases for female.
Ramittere added that HIV/AIDS transmission mostly happened to homosexuals with a total of 69 cases as of the first quarter and followed by bisexuals with 49 cases of HIV/AIDS and seven cases among the heterosexuals.
Senoc meanwhile, assured that they readied quick response program for the victims.
“We have in place programs. The only challenge here is getting the people and even the stakeholders or program stakeholders to be involved in responding to HIV and AIDS,” Senoc said.
Senoc said that having HIV is not only a health issue. “It is also a socio-cultural issue with its gender bias. Second is the economic issue, which is poverty. Next is, it is a personal issue because some victims want revenge or some of them were raped. It is a biological factor.”
“Among all the factors poverty is the number one there. Now it is prevalent among young people but it’s getting younger among the people who were infected since 13 years old, female is the youngest one,” Senoc said.
She said that it is very challenging now since we can see that the people involved are the young ones.
“Even the students or out of school youth are now engaged on “sex for fee”,” Senoc said.
She added that “self-stigma and discrimination” could prevent victims to ask for help from the health personnel.
“People don’t want to access the services, like the HIV testing, because they have that fear to be ostracized, be called as homosexuals or prostituted,” Senoc explained.
Senoc said that discrimination still occur, some people call those affected victims as “sinners.”
“They moralize the issue of HIV that is why we are having a hard time helping those who were infected,” she said.
Ramittere said that as of now, the CHO still have enough medicine to treat HIV and also an “out-patient HIV and AIDS treatment package” through Philhealth.
She explained that an individual has to be enrolled in Philhealth to avail the package International candle light memorial
Senoc announced that on Friday, May 13, there would be an International AIDS candlelight memorial to commemorate the death of the victims of AIDS.
She said that the commemoration happens every 3rd week of May.
“We will have to hold prayer for those people who died on AIDS, spearheaded by the Davao City AIDS council,” Senoc said.
The program will start at 5:00 pm at People’s Park, Palma Gil St., here in the city which would be attended by the new city mayor, Sara Duterte-Carpio.(davaotoday.com)
