MANILA, Philippines — A total 14,970 more people were diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) last year, or an average 41 people diagnosed with the virus daily, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
The number of new reported cases last year was 21 percent higher than in 2021 when 12,339 persons were diagnosed with HIV, or an average of 34 new cases per day.
In 2017, an average 30 persons in the country were diagnosed with HIV.
The DOH also reported that 4,377 more people were diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) last year, which is higher than the 3,871 new AIDS cases diagnosed in 2021.
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, making the infected person more vulnerable to other infections. If not treated, HIV can lead to AIDS.
While there is currently no effective cure for HIV, it can be controlled through proper medical care.
Since the country’s first HIV case was reported in 1984, there have been 109,282 confirmed cases reported in the DOH registry.
Sexual contact among males who have sex with males has been the predominant mode of transmission among the total reported cases.
Before 2007, the predominant mode of transmission was sexual contact between males and females.
Last year, 14,637 new HIV cases said they were infected through sexual contact: 10,006 cases were infected via male-to-male sex; 2,970 cases via sex with male and female partners, and 1,661 cases via male-to-female sex.