HIV cases hit record in September

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said 253 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases were recorded last September, the highest recorded for a month since the country began tracking the disease in 1984.

The Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry of the DOH said the new HIV cases were 49 more than the 204 cases recorded in July, which held the previous record.

“This was 65 percent higher compared to the same period last year, which was 153,” added the report.

The report said five of 253 had already progressed into full-blown Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases. All five were male—three were infected through homosexual sex, one through bisexual contact, another through sharing needles with drug users.

It also noted that another two male AIDS patients also died last month aged 40 and 49.

According to the report, sexual contact remains to be the foremost mode of HIV transmission with 226. Same-sex contact accounted for 107 of the sexually-transmitted cases while bisexual and heterosexual sex made up for 80 and 39 of the cases, respectively.

Also, 16 of the new cases recorded were found to be overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) composed of 11 males and five females, all of whom acquired it through sexual contact.

Among OFWs, heterosexual contact accounted for 10 of the sexually-transmitted cases while homosexual and bisexual sex made up for one and five of the cases, respectively.