HIV/AIDS CASES REACHED ALMOST 5,000

DOH reported yesterday that new cases of 358 HIV infections were recorded last month, bringing almost 5,000 number of cases since last year.

According to the report Teddy Molina of Phillipine Star, 

since the opening of the registry in 1984, the DOH has monitored a total of 16,516 cases, 1,507 of which have developed into AIDS. There were 887 deaths.

For 2012 and 2011, the registry showed 3,152 and 2,239 cases, respectively.

The health department said the new cases bring to 4,814 the total number of infections recorded since January 2013, including 179 deaths.

“The highest number of deaths occurred among the 25-29 age group with 28 percent, followed by the 30-34 age group with 25 percent and the 35-39 with 12 percent. There were 15 deaths recorded in December last year,” the agency said.

The registry showed that of 358 new cases, 318 got the infection through sexual contact 148 casesgot through homosexual contact, 40 others got the virus through contaminated needles shared among drug users.

The DOH said sexual contact between males was the predominant type of virus transmission with 82 percent.

It said 125 of the cases were aged 12 to 24.