AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA — More than 700 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were reported to the Department of Health (DOH) last May.
According to the latest HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines (HARP) report, a total of 739 new HIV cases were reported just in May 2016.
Out of the 739 new HIV cases last May, 106 developed into full-blown acquired immune deficiency virus (AIDS) cases.
The DOH added that 52 people with HIV/AIDS also died in May.
The regions with the highest number of reported cases for May 2016 were the National Capital Region with 303 (41 percent) cases; Central Visayas with 108 (15 percent) cases; Calabarzon with 107 (14 percent) cases; Central Luzon with 58 (8 percent) cases; and Davao Region with 46 (6 percent) cases.
Fifty-six of the new cases were found to be overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), with all happening through sexual transmission.
Among the 739 new cases, a total of 687 cases (93 percent) happened through sexual transmission, mostly from men-having-sex-with-men (MSM), which accounted for 589 cases or 86
percent.
Homosexual contact was responsible for 357 cases; followed by bisexual contact with 232 cases; and 98 cases from heterosexual contact.
Injecting drug use (IDU) accounted for the transmission of 50 new cases; while two others were cases of mother-to-child transmissions.
With the latest figure, it means that there are already 3,802 HIV cases reported to the DOH, including 518 AIDS cases and 228 deaths, during the first five months of the year.
And since 1984, a total of 34,158 HIV cases have been recorded in the country, including 3,070 AIDS cases and 1,759 deaths. SFM