Zamboanga del Norte sees surge in HIV/AIDS cases, deaths

Zamboanga del Norte logs 385 people living with HIV and a dozen AIDS-related deaths since 2023, with an average of four new cases emerging monthly as of April 20

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines – An alarming rise in HIV/AIDS cases and associated deaths has been reported in Zamboanga del Norte, prompting health officials to call for increased vigilance and safe sex practices. 

An average of four new cases are emerging in the province monthly as of April 20. Since January 2023, Zamboanga del Norte recorded 385 people living with HIV, with a dozen AIDS-related deaths documented.

Officials said the province is witnessing a significant increase in HIV/AIDS cases, particularly among younger populations. The youngest recorded case involves an infant, indicating vertical transmission from parent to child.

“Zamboanga del Norte is now classified as Category B (with 500 or fewer HIV cases), and we should have zero cases,” Abigail Khio, AIDS/HIV coordinator of the Zamboanga del Norte Health Office, told a forum on Friday, July 12.

Stigma and fear of being shunned prevent many people living with HIV from seeking medical care. Such fear leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment, exacerbating the health crisis.

A leader of a local LGBTQ+ group told Rappler on Monday, July 15, that roughly half of the people living with HIV in the province are in Dipolog City.

“There are many who refuse to go to hospitals, fearing ostracization,” said the source who requested anonymity.

The data showed that a considerable number of those infected are relatively young.  

Khio said those infected with HIV are getting younger, with the youngest being a month-old baby. Health officials decided to test the baby after finding the parents infected with HIV.

She noted that those living with HIV are mostly 35 years old and younger, with many being men who have sexual relations with men and transgender women.

Economic factors also contributed to the crisis, with many finding themselves engaging in the commercial sex trade. 

“Perhaps due to poverty, many young people, aged 15 to 20, are attracted to offers as low as P50 to P150 in exchange for sexual favors,” Khio said.

The ongoing debate about sex education in schools includes health officials advocating for it, along with interventions like distributing contraceptives.

Although health officials are now urging parents to closely monitor their children, Khio emphasized they have never neglected their advocacy work, such as school-based sex education and other interventions like distributing contraceptives.

However, Alfredo Ogoc, a secondary school teacher in Dipolog, argued that while the government aims to prevent HIV/AIDS through sex education in schools, it might unintentionally encourage promiscuity.

“It somehow fuels young people’s curiosity and confidence, making it seem like we are encouraging them to engage in sex,” Ogoc told health officials during the forum.

Ogoc opined that sex education is better taught by parents rather than in schools. 

Khio said another problem besides poverty and unsafe sex practices is technology, specifically the internet, where young people can access or download practically anything without their parents’ knowledge.

“We don’t have control over what is on the internet, which is why families and parents play a vital role in closely monitoring and protecting their children from the harms caused by rapidly developing technology,” Khio said.

HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS. Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot completely eliminate HIV, so once someone has HIV, they have it for life.

HIV is transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, sharing needles or syringes, from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding, and through blood transfusions with contaminated blood. – Rappler.com