Every day, 57 new HIV cases are reported in our country. That’s the highest in the Asia Pacific!

Our Department of Health is pressing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sign an Executive Order declaring HIV a national public health emergency, owing to the serious resurgence of cases as of late. The move has since been supported by the UNAIDS and the World Health Organization.

According to DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, the increase is most evident in individuals aged 15 to 25, where a whopping 500% increase in cases was recorded. (Meanwhile, the youngest reported case is that of a 12-year-old from Palawan.)

The Philippine government is now intensifying its HIV awareness programs, coordinating actions across all levels of government, in the hopes of stemming the rise.

But why are HIV cases suddenly trending, especially when cases were so low just a couple of years ago?

Let’s find out.

What Is HIV?

HIV stands for “Human Immunodeficiency Virus.”

As the name implies, it is a virus that attacks the immune system, which is responsible for helping the body fight infections.

When left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), a condition where the immune system has so weakened that the body struggles to fight even the most basic of infections.

HIV & AIDS were first recognized in the 1980s. The virus is believed to have been transmitted to humans from primates in Central Africa.

HIV is transmitted through body fluids like blood, semen (including pre-seminal fluid), vaginal fluids, rectal fluids and breast milk.

The main ways it spreads are through:

Unprotected sex
Sharing of needles and syringes
Blood transfusions
Perinatal transmission (mother to child)

That said, we should also remember that HIV is not transmitted through:

Casual contact (hugging, shaking hands)
Sharing of food or drinks
Saliva, sweat, or tears (unless mixed with infected blood, which is extremely rare)
Insect bites or stings
Toilet seats

As of the moment, there’s no cure for HIV or AIDS, but 4 decades of research have yielded a rich body of knowledge that has resulted in effective treatment and therapies that afford people living with AIDS to live long, normal, productive lives—especially when diagnosis is made early.

Why Are The Numbers Rising Again?

1) A Costly Complacency

Before this emergency, HIV had largely faded into the background. People have forgotten about the importance of practicing safe sex, not just to prevent pregnancies, but to safeguard from sexually transmitted diseases.

The 90s were a different time. There was a constant flow of news reports about AIDS in the mainstream media, and people were painfully made aware of its effects.

For example, the world was shocked when basketball great Earvin “Magic” Johnson came out as HIV positive—proving that the virus does not discriminate.

At that time, people were deathly afraid. Today, HIV has been lumped together with other sexually transmitted infections that can quickly clear up with a course of antibiotics.

Without the regular reminders about prevention and risk, many people—especially young adults—are simply not thinking about HIV when making decisions about sexual health.

This has led to the resurgence in cases among young adults.

2) Shift in priorities

On the part of the government, there was a clear shift in priorities. Maybe it didn’t happen overnight, but just like the masses, when images of the horrendous effects of the virus faded, so did interest. HIV lost its sting. It became old news, and the government let its guard down.

Instead of leading the charge in perpetual vigilance, the government moved on to other things no less important.

In recent years, for example, much focus has been placed on mental health issues, with the government drumming awareness into workers and families. In the same manner, the pandemic has captivated the energies of healthcare systems worldwide for a couple of years.

This led to yawning gaps in prevention and education, giving way to the rise in cases.

3) Social Factors

Even today, stigma remains one of the biggest roadblocks to HIV prevention. Fear of judgment or discrimination keeps many from getting tested or seeking treatment. This is especially true for marginalized groups, transgender individuals, and intravenous drug users.

When people are afraid to speak openly about HIV, infections continue to spread quietly—and unchecked.

These combined factors have created a perfect storm and led to what we see today as an alarming resurgence of cases in the country.

What Are The Symptoms?

So, how can individuals know if they have been infected?

Well, the only way to be sure is to be tested, which involves blood drawn from a vein and sent to the lab.

The thing is, HIV symptoms can vary depending on the stage of infection. And to make things more complicated, some people may be asymptomatic and show no signs at all, or their symptoms can be so mild they can be overlooked.

But generally, the progress of HIV can be thought of as coming in 3 phases.

Stage 1: Acute Infection

This happens 2-4 weeks after exposure. Individuals experience flu-like symptoms, including:

Fever
Chills
Sore throat
Muscle and joint aches
Headache
Night sweats
Diarrhea

At this point, the individual has a high viral load and is very contagious.

These symptoms can last a week or more.

But take note that having these symptoms does not mean an individual has been exposed to HIV. These indicators are very common and can have many other causes. These flu-like symptoms are the body’s normal reaction to any attack or infection.

So as we said, the only way to be sure is to be tested.

Stage 2: Chronic Infection

After the acute phase, HIV may not cause noticeable symptoms for years. The virus is still active, but reproduces at lower levels.

Possible symptoms (if any):

Swollen lymph nodes (usually around the neck and armpits)
Mouth ulcers
Persistent rash
Weight loss

This phase can last as long as 10 years. Without treatment, the virus slowly damages the immune system.

Stage 3: AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)

The AIDS diagnosis comes when the CD4 cell count drops below 200 cells per milliliter of blood.

This is the advanced stage of HIV when the immune system is severely compromised, and opportunistic infections or cancers take advantage of the weakened immune system.

Without treatment, individuals with AIDS survive for about 3 years on average.

How Is HIV Treated?

As mentioned, there is yet no cure for HIV. But it can be managed so that individuals can live regular and productive lives.

ART or Antiretroviral Therapy is used to treat HIV, which comes in the form of daily pills or an injection every month or every two months.

The drug prevents the virus from replicating.

The goal of ART is to reduce the viral load to very low levels. Doing so not only minimizes its impact on the immune system but also practically eliminates the risk of transmitting the virus to others.

In recent years, the idea of “Undetectable = Untransmittable” or “U=U” has given hope to patients with HIV and their families.

Researchers have discovered that they can suppress the virus so much that it can’t even be detected on standard tests. The virus is still there, but by faithfully taking the pills every day (or the injections regularly), its effects are severely hampered.

Further, when the virus is undetectable, it also means that the viral load is low, so it can’t be transmitted to others.

That’s why being diagnosed with HIV is no longer a death sentence. The virus can now be managed, especially when the diagnosis is early.

Speaking of early, we now even have “pre-exposure prophylaxis,” which is a precautionary drug or injectable given to people at risk for HIV. Research has shown that the prophylaxis prevents HIV from taking hold and reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by 99%.

There is much hope for individuals with HIV and their families.

Many people living with HIV don’t know they have it. The earlier it’s found, the better the chances of staying healthy and protecting others. Testing isn’t just for people who think they’ve been exposed—it’s part of basic healthcare.

One test. One small step. It could save your life—and help protect others too.

Bloodworks offers completely confidential HIV testing in a safe, supportive environment.

Book your appointment today.

Our branches are in Alabang, Katipunan, and Cebu.