DOH: 875 new HIV/AIDS cases in January

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) recorded 875 new HIV/AIDS cases, including 11 pregnant women, in January.

This brings to 95,212 the number of reported HIV/AIDS cases since January 1984, when the country documented its first case.

Based on the latest report of the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau, four of the 11 pregnant women are from the National Capital Region (NCR) while three are from Caraga, two from Central Visayas and one each from Central Luzon and Davao Region.

Their ages ranged from 19 to 32 years old.

According to the DOH, an average of 28 persons were diagnosed to be HIV-positive per day in January.

Of the 875 cases, 264 – only 20 are female – have advanced into full-blown AIDS.

Data showed that 426 of the cases are in the 25 to 34 age group; followed by 283 cases aged 15 to 24; 145 cases, aged 35 to 24; 17 cases, aged 50 and older. Four cases are aged less than 15 years old.

NCR accounted for 285 cases; followed by Calabarzon with 156; Central Luzon, 100; Western Visayas, 65; Davao Region, 50, and Central Visayas with 50 cases.

The DOH said of the 875 cases, 863 were infected through sexual contact while three were through sharing of infected needles and another one through mother-to-child transmission.

The agency added 592 of the sexual contacts were male to male sex while 192 were sex with male and female partners and 46 were male-female contacts.