ALMOST 50 pregnant women were found to have been afflicted with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during the second quarter of 2025.
Based on the April-June 2025 HIV and Aids Surveillance of the Philippines report, the Department of Health (DOH) said there were 47 cases of pregnant women with HIV reported.
"From April to June 2025, there were 47 HIV positive women aged 16 to 45 years old, who were pregnant at the time of diagnosis," said the DOH.
It was back in 2011 when the health department began reporting the pregnancy status of HIV cases.
"Since then, a total of 1,063 diagnosed women were reported pregnant at the time of diagnosis," said the DOH.
HIV from transactional sex
In a related development, the DOH said a total of 569 individuals engaged in transactional sex within the past 12 months have been diagnosed with HIV.
Of the total, 270 have paid for sex, including 268 males and 2 females.
There were also 209 individuals, who accepted payment for sex, including 202 males and 7 females.
The health department said there were also 90 cases that are engaged in both, all of whom are males.
"People engaging in transactional sex includes all individuals who reported having either accepted payment, paid for sex, or done both in the form of money or in kind in the past 12 months," said the DOH. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)