Philippine Department of Health Notes Rise in Sex Diseases

Philippine Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit expressed concern yesterday about the possibility of a national AIDS epidemic, citing reports of increasing sexually transmitted infections among Filipinos.

"Most of these STIs are transmitted in the same manner as [HIV] ... so where there is an epidemic of STIs, AIDS cannot be far behind," Dayrit said in a news briefing. He advised avoiding "risky" sex and using condoms as the way to address the problem.

Dayrit said Filipinos risked contracting an STI in one out of three contacts with sex workers. He reported an increase in sexual promiscuity among Filipinos, with more young adults engaging in premarital sex and having multiple partners. He cited continuing increases in chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, while noting that the DOH does not have exact, updated data on STIs.

The secretary said the country's HIV/AIDS surveillance system continued to report "low and slow prevalence" of the disease. The DOH's National Epidemiology Center reported 15 new HIV cases in August, bringing the Philippine total to 1,921 cases since 1984. Dayrit said there are an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 unreported HIV/AIDS cases in the country.

Back to other news for September 30, 2003