In the Philippines, the number of HIV infections is skyrocketing, bucking global trends, a situation that experts attribute to dating apps, poor sex education and discrimination against HIV-positive people in a deeply Catholic country.
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Less than 1% of the country’s 110 million population has been diagnosed with HIV. But the Southeast Asian archipelago is experiencing one of the fastest-growing epidemics in the world, according to UN data.
Philippine health authorities are seeing an increase in the number of people testing positive for HIV every year and fear the number of cases could double to over 400,000 by 2030.
The vast majority of new infections affect men who have sex with men and transgender women. Young people are also increasingly affected.
“This is alarming because it shows that we are not yet under control of the epidemic,” noted Van Phillip Baton, adviser to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in the Philippines. He warns that without decisive action, the virus could spread to the rest of the population.
Experts say social media and online dating sites have fueled infections in recent years by making it easier to find sexual partners.
But the rise in sexual activity, particularly since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, has not been accompanied by increased use of condoms or prophylactic medications to prevent infection, Van Phillip Stick notes.
And ignorance seems to be a major factor.
Shame and discrimination
According to a 2021 University of the Philippines study, only 76% of Filipinos aged 15 to 24 have heard of HIV and AIDS, the lowest proportion since 1994.
And of those who know about the virus, more than a third do not believe condoms can reduce the risk of HIV infection.
After years of opposition from the Catholic Church, a family planning law requires health centers to distribute free condoms and teach sex education in schools.
However, people under 18 need parental permission to purchase condoms. And only since 2018 has “comprehensive sex education” been taught, with a focus on pregnancy prevention.
Many schools still don’t allow discussions about condoms or sex, points out Desi Andrew Ching, co-founder of the NGO HIV & AIDS Support House. “Our culture demonizes sex.”
“The majority of young people living with HIV face discrimination from their peers when they tell them,” Krang, a 23-year-old who chose to use a nickname, told AFP. Shame drives some to depression or even suicide, notes the volunteer at an HIV testing and treatment center in the central city of Iloilo.
Lack of testing
UNAIDS aims to end the global AIDS epidemic by 2030 and reduce HIV cases by 90% compared to 2010.
While the number of global cases fell by 38% between 2010 and 2022, the Philippines saw a 418% increase in cases. According to the program’s data, this is the fastest increase in the Asia-Pacific region and the fourth largest in the world.
Only 63% of HIV-positive Filipinos are aware of their status and 41% receive medical treatment due to a lack of testing and care centers.
HIV can lead to AIDS without treatment. The number of AIDS-related deaths rose 538% in the Philippines between 2010 and 2022, compared to a 51% decline worldwide during the same period.
“The only people who die of AIDS today are those who were diagnosed late,” said John Ruiz, medical director of Klinika Bernardo, which provides free HIV services in the capital Manila.