MANILA, Philippines – At Rappler’s we’re on a mission to make discussions on sex and sexuality as thought-provoking and positive as possible. 

Alongside resident sex writer Ana Santos, we’re out to change the way we view sex, one article and one conversation at a time.

(Read her latest piece: [Dash of SAS] Open Sex)

This week on Rappler, we’re starting the conversation on HIV. According to the latest data from the Department of Health (DOH), there has been a 587% increase in the number of new HIV cases in the country from 2007 to 2011. 

“This is simply unacceptable. The DOH has not seen an epidemic rise this quickly,” the DOH said in May. Based on the latest numbers, there’s a new case of HIV discovered every 2 hours in the country. 

Recently, various innovations in diagnosing and treating HIV infections have come up–there’s the US FDA’s approval of a take-home HIV test kit and that of a drug that helps prevent HIV infections. 

The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases expressed hope today (July 18), of an end to the AIDS pandemic. 

“We don’t even know if a cure is possible. What we know is it is possible that we can end this pandemic even without a cure,” they said. 

Despite all these innovations abroad, the question reminds: why is HIV still on the rise in the Philippines? Is stigma to blame for its rise? 

Tell us what you think! Leave us a Facebook comment, or tweet using the hashtag #SexTalk. 

Here’s what our online community is saying: 

CONVERSATIONS: HIV and AIDS in the Philippines #SexTalk

Storified by Rappler · Wed, Jul 18 2012 03:27:35

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