More youth engaging in risky, sexual behavior

“We first recorded young persons infected with HIV in 2009. After five years, it increased by 630 percent. From 218 reported cases in 2009, it increased to 1,375 reported cases in 2013.” – Department of Health

MAIN STORY |Groups say no to mandatory HIV testing, yes to more awareness raising

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Paul, 23, is a registered nurse who is living with human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. He got infected in 2011; he was 20 years old then.

According to Noel Palypayon, Supervising Health Program Officer and Deputy Unit Manager of the National HIV/AIDS/STI and Strategic Information Unit of the National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health, more young people, as young as 15 years old, are acquiring HIV. “For every four cases (of HIV) there is one youth affected,” said Palypayon in a forum organized by the DOH on May 12.

The forum was attended by members of the academe and representatives of different student organizations from different universities. The forum was held to educate the younger generation and motivate them to contribute to efforts to stop the spread of HIV.

“We first recorded young persons infected with HIV in 2009. After five years, it increased by 630 percent. From 218 reported cases in 2009, it increased to 1,375 reported cases in 2013,” said Palaypayon. He added that most cases of youth infected with HIV are from ages 21 to 24 years old, constituting 79 percent, while youth from ages 18 to 20 years old account for 19 percent. The youngest are those from 15 to 17 years old, which constitutes two percent.

More youth experimenting with sex

According to the data of the 2013 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality (YAFS 4), more youth are engaging in sex. The YAFS 4 is the fourth of the series of surveys conducted by the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) and the Demographic Research and Development Foundation (DRDF). Marie Paz N. Marquez of the UPPI presented the report in the forum.

The survey covered 17 regions in the country with 19,178 respondents, 51.2 percent are female and 51.2 percent male with ages between 15 to 19 years old (59.8 percent) and 20 to 24 years old (40.2 percent).

The survey showed that among young persons with ages 18 to 24 who engaged in sex, 25.1 percent are male and 23.5 percent female. Of those who engaged in sex before 15 years old, 3.1 percent are male and 1.9 percent female.

Paz said these sexual encounters are mostly done without protection. According to the survey, 77.9 percent did not use any protection during their first premarital sex or sex before marriage experience and 75.9 percent did not use protection during their last sexual encounter. “More youth have also engaged in risky behavior such as having a fucking buddy or having regular sex without emotional attachment, constituting 3.5 percent of the respondents,” said Paz. She added that more men are engaging in this kind of sexual encounter, 6.6 percent, and many of them do not use any protection.

The YAFS 4 also revealed that more youth have engaged in risky sexual encounters without protection such as casual sex, 7.3 percent, men having sex with another man (MSM), 5.3 percent and sex outside of marriage or extramarital sex, 3.1 percent.
The survey revealed that youth awareness about HIV and AIDS is declining with 83.3 percent in 2013 compared to 95.2 percent in 2002.

“Lack of awareness is a primary driver of risky behavior. We ask our respondents if they heard about AIDS and only a few said they have knowledge about it,” said Paz. She added that AIDS awareness is highest in the National Capital Region and lowest in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Risky, unprotected sex

Data in the 2013 Integrated HIV Behavioral and Serologic Surveillance (IHBSS) also showed that those who have engaged in risky sexual behavior do not use condoms.

The IHBSS is under the National Epidemiology Center of the DOH. It tracks down the prevalence of HIV in identified cities with identified risky behavior or at risk to HIV. This is done every two years, Palaypayon said.

Respondents of the 2013 IHBSS are males with ages 15 to 24 years old. Palaypayon said, “In respondents ages 15 to 17 years old, 47 percent practice oral sex, 21 percent are anal inserters, 22 percent anal receivers and one percent are anal versatile or doing both. With respondents with ages 18 to 24, 32 percent practice oral sex, 22 percent are anal inserters, 26 percent are anal receivers and 19 percent are doing both. Respondents 25 years old and above have the highest number of those practicing anal sex with 15 percent as anal inserters, 31 percent anal receivers and 26 percent doing both. Only 27 percent are practicing oral sex.”

Palaypayon said many of the respondents still do not use condom. “26.39 percent of the respondents said they don’t like using condoms. 20.15 percent think that it is not necessary. 8.07 percent said their partner objected to the use of condom,” said Palaypayon.

“If you cannot resist, please use protection. The fact remains that there is HIV. If you use protection, you can help in preventing the spread of the virus,” he added.

Take the test early

Dr. Rossana Ditangco, Head of the AIDS Research Group of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) said the profile of patients coming for treatment of HIV has become younger. “As of May 2014, we have 313 new cases, 310 of whom are male and three are female with ages between 15 to 27 years old.”

These patients, she said, are already showing symptomatic conditions, meaning they are in stage three of the HIV. “This means that the infected person’s immune system is severely deteriorating and their CD4 or T-helper cells (a type of white blood cell that fights infection) is very low,” she said.

A person who tests positive with HIV also undergoes a CD4 count to determine the state of the person’s immune system to track the progress of the HIV. According to the HIV and AIDS Health Center if the CD4 count drops from its normal count of 500 to 1,600, the HIV is progressing.

That is why Palaypayon suggests that those at risk of acquiring HIV should take the test.

Paul, for one, only took the test because a friend invited him to do so. “I was positive (with HIV) and it was overwhelming,” he said. He was in denial for one year. He busied himself with his work in the hospital even taking two shifts just to keep his mind off it. But through the help of a non-government organization (NGO), he mustered the courage to face it. He is now under medication.

“I am now as strong as a horse. I am working again and actively attending forums like this to share to young people that we can do something about HIV,” he said.

“If you know that you are positive with HIV, there are treatments available. Once you are under treatment, your life will be prolonged,” Palaypayon said. (https://www.bulatlat.com)

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