Ilocos Sur HIV cases up; health officials alarmed

By Freddie Lazaro

VIGAN , Ilocos Sur -- The provincial health office is alarmed over the sudden increase of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or HIV/AIDS recorded cases in Ilocos Sur.

Last year, the province listed 24 new positive cases of HIV/AIDS in which 22 were men and two were women.

Ilocos Sur”s Provincial HIV/AIDS coordinator Ross Anne Barrientos revealed that the reported dominant mode of transmission of the dreaded virus is male-to-male sex in which most of the affected locals are between the ages of 25 and 34 years and those aged 15 to 24.

From 1984 to the present, Ilocos Sur has the cumulative record of 116 HIV/AIDS cases. The remarkable increase in the number of cases in the province started in 2010.

From the 3 recorded HIV/AIDS cases in 2010, it was nearly doubled at 5 in 2011 and soared to 12 in 2012 and 2013.

It was reported that 19 cases were recorded in 2014 while 24 cases were listed in 2015.

It was recorded that the following 12 local government units (LGUs) have listed the most number of HIV/AIDS cases in the province: Candon City with 15 cases: Vigan City, 14; Narvacan, 8; San Juan and Tagudin, 7 each; Bantay, 6; Sta. Cruz and Santiago, 5 each; and Cabugao, Galimuyod, Magsingal and Sto. Domingo, 4 cases each.

With the sudden increase of HIV/AIDS in the province, the provincial health office of Ilocos Sur has asked those who suspect they are infected with the virus to avail of the testing services of Gabriela Silang General Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) has intensified information dissemination and education campaign on HIV/AIDS testing to have early detection of the disease and to prevent its possible spread to another human.