THE number of Filipinos with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to grow as the Department of Health (DOH) had documented 109 new cases just in the month of June.
Based on the June 2010 Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry Report of the DOH–National Epidemiology Center (NEC), only one, among the cases, has already developed to a full-blown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
“The reported modes of transmission in the June cases were sexual contact (96), injecting drug users (9), and mother-to-child transmission (2),” said the report.
Of the 96 sexually-transmitted HIV, 76 were found to have come from male-having-sex-with-male.
Also, 13 of the new cases came from the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sector with all being acquired from sexual transmission.
The lone individual that developed AIDS this month was identified as a 22-year old single male, who acquired the virus through homosexual contact.
The additional figure brings up the HIV cases reported in 2010 to 809 with a total of 10 HIV cases having developed to AIDS.
Since 1984, there are now a total of 5,233 HIV cases in the country with 847 developing into AIDS. (AMN/Sunnex)