TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Against the backdrop of rising human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity rates among Filipinos (particularly the youth and men having sex with men (MSM) due to risky sexual behavior and practices, the Tabuk Rural Health Unit (RHU)-III is getting very few clients for voluntary testing.
Nurse II Charity Puday said that only 57 went to the health center to have themselves tested for the dreaded infection from January to December 1 of this year.
She said that based on their records, only four of the 57 are MSM.
According to the Department of Health, 83 percent of new HIV cases in the country are attributed to MSM.
Nurse Rosebert Cirilo, also a peer educator, explained that the small number is attributed to fear in knowing their HIV status adding that this reason is prevalent among risk groups.
Cirilo mentioned the following as other possible reasons for the few HIV testing clients: not having time to go to the testing center; belief that the testing is only for those engaged in multiple sexual activities; and the unsympathetic response the person gets from other people when going on for testing.
Cirilo cautioned that it is only through testing that the person is assured of his HIV status adding that a person can still be susceptible to the virus even if he has not engaged in any harmful sexual activity because the virus can also be acquired through needle or syringe use.
”Before a testing is made, counselling is performed to inform the person of the transmission and detection of the virus, the voluntary preparation for possible effect and exploration of feelings and support of family,” Puday emphasized.
Concerning the high HIV prevalence among MSM, City Health Physician Gwendolyn Gabit said that members of this group have an increased chance of being exposed to the virus due to mainly having sexual relations within the group. She, however, said that there are also other factors that put MSM at heightened risk of HIV.
She informed that although there is a high incidence of HIV among MSM between 15-24 years old, only a few of them want to know their HIV status.
Against the national statistics of 1,962 new HIV cases reported from July to August this year, or an average of 31 cases a day, Gabit disclosed that there is one HIV case in the city explaining that the person was infected from having sexual activities with the same sex and is now undergoing treatment.
She said that there were six cases reported in the province in the period 1998-2015 and most of them are MSM.
When asked about the reliability of HIV testing results, Gabit said that it is strengthened by a sequence of confirmatory tests done at accredited health institutions like nearby Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) and Baguio General Hospital (BGH). All samples with reactive (positive) results or with results that are difficult to interpret are re-tested several times and samples with negative results are not routinely re-tested.
Gabit also said that those who were tested to be infected with HIV will not be admitted nor isolated but instead be counselled for an effective treatment procedure with the medicines given free for a lifetime treatment.
Gabit said that to help control the spread of the disease, Tabuk RHU III intensified its HIV information education campaign (IEC) and continues to distribute condoms and lubricants among the straight men and gays since 2016.
Gabit said that the IEC is the best strategy to eliminate HIV cases because it creates awareness as to how people can possibly be infected and what are the ways to stop cases from soaring.
“Sexually active young people should get tested because the earlier they know their HIV status, the earlier they can seek care and treatment to improve quality of life,” Gabit emphasized.
She also underscored the need to remove the stigma against the disease, saying it is one of the reasons the virus continues to spread as the target population is discouraged from getting tested due to fear of being discriminated against.
Article VII (Discriminatory Acts and Policies) of RA 8504 (Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998) prohibits all forms of discrimination against HIV infected people on the basis of their actual, perceived or suspected status and assures the confidentiality of all details pertaining to the client being tested.
Gabit stressed the importance of getting tested and knowing your partner’s HIV status, having less risky sex, using condoms, limiting the number of sexual partners, getting tested and treated for STIs, talking to health care provider and of not injecting drugs.
HIV testing and awareness building are permanent services of Tabuk RHU-III, one of three health units of the Tabuk City LGU.**Darwin S. Serion/Tabuk City Information Office
