152 HIV cases in Philippines recorded in January

The number of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in the country has gone beyond 100 as more than 150 new cases have been recorded only in the first month of 2011.

Based on the January Philippine HIV and Aids Registry report of the Department of Health (DOH), there were 152 new “sero-positive” individuals confirmed to have acquired HIV.

“Of the 152 HIV positive cases, three were reported as (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) Aids cases,” said the report.

The figure is a six percent increase compared to the same period last year, which had 143.

And with these new cases, the number of people living with HIV in the country has now grown to 6,167. Eight hundred sixty of these total HIV cases have already progressed into full-blown Aids, added the report.

Of the new cases in January 2011, 141 were found to be males while the remaining 11 were females. All of the new cases were also found to have been transmitted through sexual contact except for one that was undetermined.

Homosexual contact remains to be the top cause with 74, followed by bisexual sexual contact with 49, and heterosexual sex with 28.

Seventeen people with HIV were also found to be overseas Filipino workers, who have been the perennial victims of the HIV/Aids in the past years.

(AMN/Sunnex)