HIV Epidemic May Be Imminent in the Philippines

A new report warns that the presence of a number of HIV/AIDS risk factors raises the specter of "a large, increasing and generalized epidemic" in the Philippines.

"These include: a low rate of condom use; unsafe practices among intravenous drug users; large migration rates; increasing trends in extramarital and premarital sex; a lack of education and common misperceptions about HIV/AIDS; and cultural factors that inhibit public discussion of issues of a sexual nature," wrote Anna Farr and David Wilson of the National Center in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Their paper was published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society.

In contrast to other countries in the region, the spread of HIV in the Philippines has been characterized as "low and slow" because of a dispersed geography, relatively uncommon IV drug use, conservative values, and high male circumcision rates, the report said.

But, "There is no guarantee that a large HIV epidemic will be avoided in the near future," the report said. "Indeed, an expanding epidemic is likely to be only a matter of time as the components for such an epidemic are already present in the Philippines." The average age of diagnosis has dropped from 36 before 2005 to 29 in recent years, the authors noted.

The country has the lowest rate of condom use in Asia: 20-30 percent among high-risk groups such as sex workers. "A common perception is that condoms are only for birth control and not for protection against HIV and other [STDs]," the authors wrote. "This perception is reinforced by the view that condoms are discouraged by the Roman Catholic Church. Government family planning programs have policies against supplying condoms to unmarried people."

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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