Parents urged to teach safe sex at home

The Department of Health (DOH), World Health Organization (WHO), and their partner organizations urged parents to teach safe sex at home as a growing number of youths are infected either by the AIDS or HIV virus.

"Yung ating statistics is going up. We cannot deny that," Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said during the country's commemoration of World AIDS Day on Thursday.

From July to October, the HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) recorded 3,112 new HIV antibody sero-positive cases in the Philippines.

Earlier, from January to October to October this year, 7,756 new HIV/AIDS cases were reported, bringing the total number of reported cases to 38,114 from 1984 to 2016.

DOH optimistic that HIV/AIDS will go down with help from households. pic.twitter.com/rUUMSB192Y

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) December 1, 2016

More than half of the affected individuals in 2016 belong to the 25 to 34 (19,578) age group while 28 percent (10,279) were aged 15 to 24.

To address the problem about the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases involving the youth, Ubial said the information campaign must go down to the household and community level.

Ubial: Be factual and don't use analogies when explaining sex to your children; you can go online and research how to say it openly. pic.twitter.com/hktauFSMhF

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) December 1, 2016

"As soon as the child asks you a question, be honest, say it outright, (don't) talk about the bees and the birds," she said.

"You talk to the child as if you're discussing any topic under the sun. Be factual, wag nang paligoy-ligoy at wag na yung analogy. I think that has been proven in other many countries that that's the way to inform the youth."

While the DOH promotes abstinence among youths, the reality that risky practices such as unprotected sex is prevalent cannot be escaped and must be addressed.

"Sex is happening and we cannot deny it. Therefore, rather than hide behind those figures, we need to address the realities as well as the negative consequences of unprotected sex, which would include HIV infection," United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) Country Coordinator Teresita Marie Bagasao said.

National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairman and CEO Aiza Seguerra said parents must overcome the cultural inclination to avoid talking about sex to equip their children with the right information.

"Because of our culture, we get embarrassed by topics like sex (and) HIV/AIDS," Seguerra said. "Pero sa napapansin natin lahat, sa hiya na yan, pataas na pataas ang mga tinatamaan ng HIV/AIDS."

"Kahit ano pong sabihin ng gobyerno, kahit ano pong gawin ng government para puksain itong HIV/AIDS, I believe it starts at the home," she added. "Please make sure they are protected."

World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Gundo Weiler added that educating the youth will enable them to protect themselves better. 

"It is important to redouble our efforts in supporting the communities (in) their prevention efforts and to their right to protect themselves," Weiler said.

Free and confidential HIV testing is available at traditional health providers, local government units, and partner NGOs, who will also provide free condoms, for easy access.

Kits are not available to the public as counseling is required before and after testing.

"One the things that we did not want to happen is an increase in suicide rate. Or an increase in the threshold or an increase in hiding... because of positive results," Ubial explained.

Treatment options are available to those who test positive for HIV. Anti-retroviral treatments (ART) are applied to individuals who need to lower the viral load of patients and to improve their immune response.

Ubial said there are 33,000 persons living with HIV under treatment.

Of these, 18,000 are linked to care while 17,000 started using ART. "Not everyone who is positive needs anti-retrovirals," she said.

Life-long ART is available to those registered in HIV treatment hubs.

Next year's budget for ART will leap from P900 million to a P1 billion and will allow the DOH to provide ART to over 39,000 individuals.

This funding will help the DOH achieve one of their goals set in the 6th edition of the country's AIDS Medium Term Plan, which aims to:

• Increase knowledge in HIV transmission, prevention, and services among 15 to 24-year-olds to 90 percent;  
• Prevent new HIV infection among 15 to 24-year-olds;
• Test and treat 90 percent of people living with HIV;
• Eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV

The National Capital Region has the most number of reported cases at 1,275 (41 percent); Region 4A follows with 294 (9 percent) cases; Region 7 with 277 (9 percent); Region 11 with 181 (6 percent); and 617 cases (20 percent) from the rest of the country. — VVP, GMA News