CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: Victims of the dreaded Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) are seemingly becoming younger and younger, a new report from DxRU-Radio Ultra said.
The said report is culled from Misamis Oriental- Cdo Aids Network (Mocan) chairperson Fritzie Estoque during a media forum of the Department of Health R-10.
Mocan, a coalition of government and private institutions on HIV-AIDS concerns, pointed out that some 260 new cases were recorded in Northern Mindanao’s HIV-AIDS registry.
This brings to mind the statement of the health department last May, this year, which described the transmission of HIV in the region as “fast and furious,” spreading from just 45 in 2008 and pushing the figure up this year-end.
Health authorities said the victims are getting younger in age, which could be blamed to poor education about HIV-AIDS and unprotected sexual activities among the youth.
The DOH has earlier said those between the ages of 20 to 29 are most vulnerable with 57 percent of the total number of HIV positive.
Tingug-CdO, another group advocating HIV-AIDS awareness in the city, said young textmates meet for sexual encounters which usually involve multiple partners in a single night.
DOH statistics disclosed that 99 percent of the HIV cases are still from sexual contact, while one percent is from needle sharing, blood transfusion and mother-to-child transmission.
But in Northern Mindanao’s case, most of those tallied involved male to male sexual contact as the number one cause of transmission.
Educating the public is the key to putting a stop to this HIV menace, Estoque added, since the documented cases are not part of a mother-to-child HIV infection.
Likewise a heightened advocacy and awareness campaign should start in schools, barangays and also in offices as some of those victimized are young professionals, she added.
DOH-10 said the oldest recorded person with HIV in the region was a 70-year-old man while the youngest is a 14-year old as health officials notes the region is now a hot spot HIV-AIDS.
Latest figures also say that at least 19 cases were recorded in Iligan City, 10 in Misamis Occidental, six in Bukidnon and one in Camiguin.
The Philippines placed seventh among the countries with an increasing infection rate of HIV-AIDS, estimating a possible breach of the 36,000 ballpark figure in 2015, it was learned.
The said report is culled from Misamis Oriental- Cdo Aids Network (Mocan) chairperson Fritzie Estoque during a media forum of the Department of Health R-10.
Mocan, a coalition of government and private institutions on HIV-AIDS concerns, pointed out that some 260 new cases were recorded in Northern Mindanao’s HIV-AIDS registry.
This brings to mind the statement of the health department last May, this year, which described the transmission of HIV in the region as “fast and furious,” spreading from just 45 in 2008 and pushing the figure up this year-end.
Health authorities said the victims are getting younger in age, which could be blamed to poor education about HIV-AIDS and unprotected sexual activities among the youth.
The DOH has earlier said those between the ages of 20 to 29 are most vulnerable with 57 percent of the total number of HIV positive.
Tingug-CdO, another group advocating HIV-AIDS awareness in the city, said young textmates meet for sexual encounters which usually involve multiple partners in a single night.
DOH statistics disclosed that 99 percent of the HIV cases are still from sexual contact, while one percent is from needle sharing, blood transfusion and mother-to-child transmission.
But in Northern Mindanao’s case, most of those tallied involved male to male sexual contact as the number one cause of transmission.
Educating the public is the key to putting a stop to this HIV menace, Estoque added, since the documented cases are not part of a mother-to-child HIV infection.
Likewise a heightened advocacy and awareness campaign should start in schools, barangays and also in offices as some of those victimized are young professionals, she added.
DOH-10 said the oldest recorded person with HIV in the region was a 70-year-old man while the youngest is a 14-year old as health officials notes the region is now a hot spot HIV-AIDS.
Latest figures also say that at least 19 cases were recorded in Iligan City, 10 in Misamis Occidental, six in Bukidnon and one in Camiguin.
The Philippines placed seventh among the countries with an increasing infection rate of HIV-AIDS, estimating a possible breach of the 36,000 ballpark figure in 2015, it was learned.