Philippines at Risk For HIV/AIDS From Overseas Workers: Minister

On Monday in Manila, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit warned that HIV could spread in the Philippines through millions of Filipinos who have engaged in risky sex behavior while working overseas. According to official figures, 5 million to 7 million Filipinos work abroad, many as sailors who dock in ports where AIDS rates among sex workers are almost 75 percent. "We don't want to stigmatize these people who returned from abroad, but what we are saying is, they should play safe," Dayrit said. The number of HIV-infected people remains low in the largely Roman Catholic country: only 1,935 HIV cases have been reported since 1984. However, conservative estimates say there could be 4,000 to 6,000 unreported cases, Dayrit said, most of whom are workers who have recently returned from overseas. He called on workers who have engaged in risky sex to undergo voluntary HIV testing when they return for the Christmas holidays.

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