FOR the second time this year, the number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in the country has breached the 1,000 mark.

A total of 1,047 HIV cases were recorded last August, based on the HIV/Aids Registry of the Philippines (Harp) report of the Department of Health.

It was way back in January when the country last saw over a thousand HIV cases, with 1,021.

In 2017, the number of new HIV cases breached the 1,000 mark three times.

According to the August 2018 Harp report, 17 percent or 176 had clinical manifestations of being advanced HIV infection or acquired immunodeficiency deficiency syndrome (Aids).

The DOH also reported 159 deaths from HIV/Aids for the month of August this year.

Sexual contact remains the predominant mode of transmission with 1,022 cases (98 percent), with 887 (87 percent) being males who have sex with males (MSM).

Male-to-male sex accounted for 627 cases, followed by 260 from those having sex with both male and female, and 135 from male-to-female sex.

Needle sharing among injecting drug users accounted for 17 cases.

Eight cases, on the other hand, had no data on transmission, said the health department.

One third (31 percent, 328) of the new HIV cases were from the National Capital Region (NCR), followed by Calabarzon (17 percent, 173 cases), Central Luzon (11 percent, 119), Central Visayas (10 percent, 108), and Western Visayas (6 percent, 58).

Ninety-one overseas Filipino workers were also diagnosed in August, and almost all of them were infected through sexual contact (21 male-female sex, 46 male-male sex, and 22 sex with both males and females).

For the first eight months of 2018, there are now 7,579 new HIV cases, including 1,341 Aids cases and 435 deaths.

Since 1984, there have already been 58,181 HIV cases, with 6,409 Aids cases and 2,893 deaths. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)