12 die of HIV in Baguio

By Carlito C. Dar

BAGUIO CITY – Twelve patients afflicted with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) have died at a hospital in this tourist resort, doctors bared.

Risky sexual behavior was a common denominator in acquisition of HIV and the Human Pappiloma Virus or HPV, a known link in acquiring cervical cancer.

In a media forum here, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center HIV/AIDS team chair Dr. Maria Lorena Santos reported increasing number of HIV cases in BGHMC registry.

Since 2006, Santos said they screened 72 cases which include 16 cases in 2011, 17 cases in 2012 and 16 cases from January to May of this year. 12 of the patients died.

Santos said out of the 72 patients, 19 were females and 53 male – mostly homosexuals. 

Patients were  from regions 1, 2, 3 and  the  Cordillera, as well as Metro Manila.

The BGHMC registry also showed  the youngest person living with HIV aged 19 while the oldest was 56.

Santos said common causes  of HIV infections were risky sexual behaviors, which included having multiple partners and unprotected sex.

Aside from transmission through sexual intercourse, she also disclosed HIV can be acquired through blood transfusion, mother to child transmission and injective drug use.

On the upside, Santos  bared  that there was increasing awareness on HIV/AIDS.

From their past experiences where patients were diagnosed only upon physicians’ recommendation for screening, now  more patients are submitting themselves for counseling and screening at the BGHMC.

May  was observed by the Department of Health  as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, 

Santos said risky sexual behavior was risk factor in acquiring the dreaded disease.

She said HPV, a secondary link on having cervical cancer, can be acquired through sexual intercourse.

HPV can be transferred by a male to a female through sexual intercourse and a sexually active male partner who engages multiple sexual partners, will not even know that he has the virus, as it is asymptomatic or does not manifest any symptom, Santos said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Diyesibel Balisongen of BGHMC,  said cervical cancer remains   second   cancer type among women,  next only to breast cancer.

For BGHMC, she reported they had 28 new cases in 2011, another 21 cases in 2012 and nine cases from January to April this year, with patients as young as 26 years old and oldest at 59.

For prevention, Balisongen advocated early detection or diagnostic as well as vaccination against the HPV, which is free of charge for PhilHealth members.