DOH says 1,089 new HIV patients in 1Q of 2013

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 1,089 Filipinos have been diagnosed for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during the first three months of 2013, the Department of Health (DOH) revealed Monday.

The DOH said that the number is higher than the 799 cases recorded in the same period of 2012.

It said that the bulk of the new HIV cases were recorded in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Davao region and Central Visayas.

The DOH said that 95 percent or 1,036 of the new patients are men and 903 of which engaged in sex with the same gender.

It said that 99 percent or 1,079 of the new cases were acquired through sexual contact and the other percent or a total of 10 cases were acquired through needle sharing among injecting drug users.

The DOH also said that 128 (120 males and 8 females) of the new patients are overseas Filipino workers.

It said that from 1984 to 2013, there are now a total of 12,791 HIV cases reported.

Of the said number, 5,998 cases came from Metro Manila, 1,468 cases came from Calabarzon, 999 cases from Central Luzon, 962 cases from Central Visayas, 671 cases from Davao region and 1,555 patients from the rest of the country.

The DOH also said that 10 percent or 1,228 of the total HIV carriers were AIDS cases.