Philippines: Nearly 20,000 new cases of HIV since 1984
495 new cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in the Philippines in May, bumping this year’s new cases up to 2,320.
The country’s Department of Health (DOH) announced the latest numbers on Tuesday.
465 of the new cases were infected through sexual contact.
The DOH cite same-sex sexual contact between males as the most predominant type of sexual transmission at 85%.
Homosexual contact accounted for 252 cases, bisexual contact 145 and heterosexual 68 cases.
Of the 2,320 cases this year, 2,171 were infected through sexual transmission.
People between the ages of 17 and 80 were infected, with 2,083 males and 88 females infected through sexual transmission.
Records show overseas Filipino workers comprise 265 of this year’s cases, all acquired HIV through sexual contact.
106 cases were the result of homosexual contact, 95 heterosexual and 64 bisexual.
This year’s numbers have brought the total of new cases infections in the Philippines to 18,863 cases since the registry began in 1984, 992 deaths and 1,724 AIDS cases.
