September’s 316 HIV cases highest in nearly 3 decades

MANILA, Philippines – September carries the record number of HIV cases in the Philippines at 316, the highest monthly data since the country started regularly monitoring cases in 1984, according to the Department of Health.

The September cases constitute a 25-percent increase from those recorded in September 2011.
 
The DOH said sexual intercourse was the mode of transmission in the 312 cases in September 2012. The rest got infected through needle sharing, the DOH added. Most of the cases were reported by men who had sex with men (or MSMs), the department said.

Based on the DOH’s Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry, the new cases have brought to 2,466 the number of cases this year and to 10,830 since 1984.

Males accounted for 96% of the September 2012 cases. The youngest patient is 16-years-old while the oldest is 70. At least 57% of the cases belonged to the 20-29 age group.

Of the 316 cases, 10 were already reported as AIDS; they’re all men — one homosexual, one heterosexual and 3 bisexual. The median age for them is 24 and all got infected through sexual contact. The DOH said no death was reported in September.

Health officials have said that the exponential rise in HIV cases in the country may be traced back to social media and use of injecting drugs.

The DOH earlier noticed a spike in HIV cases beginning in 2007 when only 317 HIV cases were reported. The number of new infections has been continuously increasing and in 2011, there were 2,349 reported cases of HIV. – Rappler.com