Posts
According to Dr. Irene Grafil,
coordinator for HIV/AIDS and other STDs within the Quezon City Health
Department in the Philippines, the frequency of MSM (men who have sex with men)
encounters has made the city a high-risk area for contracting HIV. Health
Department records for the city show that from January to August of 2012, 266
cases were reported, and of this number, 162 involved gay men who claimed they
had engaged in “very risky” MSM relations. For the same time period last year,
181 cases had been reported.
The Department of Health had earlier
listed Quezon City as one of six cities in the Philippines with the highest
incidence of HIV/AIDS cases. The other five are Manila, Pasay, Angeles, Cebu,
and Davao. Grafil states that interviews conducted by her team indicate that
homosexuals feel that the city is “MSM-friendly,” and they experience less
harassment there. Grafil’s program staff members visit the cruising sites
frequented by these individuals several times a month. Individuals originally
meet in cyberspace through blogs and social networking sites, which are used to
enter into “transactions.” After making initial contact, they then usually meet
at bars and go to other locations such as massage parlors, saunas, malls, and
parks.
The majority of gay men interviewed
are employed individuals aged 24 to 34 years old, who have the additional money
needed to pay for the services of male sex workers (MSW), according to Grafil.
The city’s social hygiene clinic registry monitors 600–700 MSWs in the city, 42
percent of whom have said that they are either married or in relationships with
females. Grafil noted that health officials are concentrating on those cases,
since if the man becomes infected he may pass it along to his partner, and if
she becomes pregnant, it may be transmitted to the infant. Grafil is
recommending what she terms the “ABCDE” approach to avoiding HIV/AIDS: “A for
abstinence; B for being mutually faithful and staying in a monogamous
relationship; C for correct use of condoms; D for doing away with drugs (which
would involve sharing needles); and E for early diagnosis and education.”
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
