Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial encourages the use of condom to stop the spread of HIV during press briefing in Paranaque City. PDI Photo / Richard A. Reyes
An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) warned that distributing condoms in schools as part of an anti-HIV/AIDS drive would only condone sexual activities among students.
Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP’s Permanent Committee on Public Affairs, said the government should instead focus its efforts on educating people than giving away condoms.
“Yes, we need to address the rising number of HIV cases in the country. But the government should invest more in educating people about the perils of sporadic sexual activity than procuring and distributing condoms,” he said.
The CBCP official made the statement after the Department of Health (DOH) announced its plan to distribute condoms in schools next year as part of its anti-HIV/AIDS campaign.
The distribution of condoms would be coupled with counseling sessions for students.
Data showed that from 1984 to October 2016, 38,114 HIV/AIDS cases had been recorded. Of this figure, 32,099 were reported from 2011 to 2016.
The DOH noted that there were 10,279 HIV/AIDS cases in the 15-to-24-years-old category, of which 9,066 were reported since 2011.
These figures alarmed the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Health Care and the DOH, especially that HIV/AIDS infections were rising among the youth.