HIV Now

MANILA, Philippines – There were 316 newly registered HIV cases for September 2012, a record high for the country, with a cumulative total of 10,830 since 1984 in the Department of Health’s (DOH) HIV Registry.

Forum on Zero AIDS-Free Generation

Promotional poster of the event

MANILA, Philipines - Bloggers have been invited to The Old Spaghetti House, UP Techno Hub, December  7, convene for their awareness on the rapid increase of HIV cases in the country, and unfortunately places us in the list of the only 9 countries left such a trend of newly registered HIV cases. Note that the entire world, otherwise, have either halted their growth in number, or are decreasing it.

295

For the updated HIV registry, visit the Department of Health website here. Be safe! Follow AIDS Society of the Philippines on Twitter, Tumblr, on Facebook or on their website.

273

Here are the new statistics for this May of 2012.

To see the entire report click here.

Post It Up

So here's what's been keeping me busy these past couple of days.

I didn't have events to coordinate, and stuff to write about so I decided to make campaign posters for my office and our new clinic.

The Steady Rise

Whenever I tell people about the current statistics of HIV prevalence in our country, they always ask me about one thing - why is it going up? Let me try and answer this, but first, the actual numbers.

Extracted from Philippine DOH website

274 - New registered HIV cases in the Philippines for the month of February of this year, highest number in the history of the country
72% - Increase compared to February of 2011
235 - Acquired through sexual contact
87% - of 235 are from males who have sex with males
27% - of the HIV cases of February 2012 are from the ages of 15 -24 years old
10 - People are getting infected everyday
8,850 - Total reported cases of HIV in the country as of current

Top or Bottom?

HEED YE ALL. The following entry contains explicit sexual content. Read at your own risk.

Photo from zazzle.com

Which one are you? Why is it such a big issue? Why is everyone claiming to be top and yet there's a running joke circulating that there's a growing shortage of them? What is a top and a bottom anyway?

Here's the shiz you need to know.

268

The total number of newly registered HIV cases in the country for December 2011. Be informed. Be safe. Get tested.

Click here for the December 2011 registry.

November 2011 HIV and AIDS Registry

We're at 212. For the new registry for HIV and AIDS cases, visit http://doh.gov.ph/

For the PDF format of the registry click this link.

Stop HIV. Stop AIDS.

253

Yes, we're already at two hundred and fifty three new cases of HIV in the Philippines as of the September 2011 NEC registry. Scary, yes it is. But I take it in it's positive light that people are more aware of our advocacy and are more willing to know their status and have themselves tested. It means me and my colleagues are doing something right.

Beyond Work

I've always ranted how stressful coordinating events are, but I've stuck to it 'cause it wasn't always such a busy life for me at the office. Often, I enjoy what I do 'cause I get to express my creativity (if I do have any) and pursue my interests with the other things I get to do.

HIV and AIDS Registry (NEC) - August

196 new cases of HIV for August. 93% Male. Median age is 28 years of age. 93% of cases are acquired through sexual contact.

Download this month's registry here.

A Pulse That Beats

This is not a review, but a re-telling of the emotions I felt. The colors I saw in the lives that were portrayed, painted with such finesse, of pigments that filled their lives that were greater than even new crayons could even think of.

Pulses showed me the depths that my work reaches, not only for the people I help, I reach out to, but even to myself. It was made a point that information would be shared, facts. And as the words were said, one after the other, faces were given to the lives that were behind statistics.

HIV and AIDS for MSM

Be informed. Be safe. Get tested.

June HIV and AIDS registry

The June update on the monthly HIV and AIDS registry of the National Epidemiology Center is up. It still takes surprises me to see how many the newly reported HIV cases there are every month. A very prominent escalation from last year's monthly cases.

A big percentage of these cases are from sexual transmission of males having sex with males. Being a part of the gay community, this saddens me to find out how uninformed and uneducated my brothers are when it comes to safe sex.

For the entire report, click here.

The Red Whistle

With the continuous climb of HIV cases in our country, I find that there is a dire need for us within the internet community to start banding with our brothers and sisters within the advocacy in the fight against the virus and AIDS related deaths.

One such group of people to take upon this challenge is the Take The Test Project. They are a group who facilitates means to make HIV testing "closer to the community". Now they have started an ingenious new campaign to help ward of the hush hush taboo which is the topic of HIV and AIDS, The Red Whistle campaign.

And to quote from their Facebook page description...

"The Red Whistle aims to empower and inspire people to come together and help each other in this battle against HIV and AIDS. We hope to engage individuals and groups to HELP sound the alarm in their respective communities that HIV is here and it must be stopped."

With the simple red whistle, which is both light and attractive, this means of propaganda is as adroitly thought of as one would expect from a group of advocates which are a mixture of artists and HIV young forerunners like Niccolo Cosme. A significant yet surprisingly fashionable trinket to help push for awareness.

To learn more about their campaign and where to get your own Red Whistle, visit their Facebook page at this link.

Do your part. Get involved. Stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing: Why is it important?

Here’s the thing. Knowledge.

According to Oxford Online Dictionary, Knowledge is awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation. At least that’s one of their 3 primary definitions.

If taken in that context, the pursuit of getting tested is vital for us to function daily without fear of uncertainty with the help of being aware that we are HIV positive. It’s as simple as that. Life would be better walking around the world knowing what your status is, how to run your life, and knowing the limitations which would allow you to live a longer life.

Take these points for example.

Preparation

• If ever you get a positive result, knowing allows to plan ahead. Taking the necessary steps to keep your body healthy, knowing the amenities available for people living with HIV, getting hold of the services and medication that are free, amongst other things.

Stopping the spread

• You don’t need to isolate yourself. Yes, depression comes and there’ll be one point in that frame of time where you’d feel as if the world holds no joy for you any longer, but it’ll pass. Helping people understand the disease by living your life normally, would stop the spread of wrong information and myths regarding HIV. You deserve to be happy.
• SEX. What about sex? Yes, you can do it. BUT, learn the important stuff.USE PROTECTION.
• Encourage people to take the test as well. It’s your choice if you want people to know, but disclosure isn’t necessary to help people take the same step you did. Stopping the spread of fear will help our goal of ridding the world of this disease.

Peace of mind

• Would that even be possible, you ask? Not at the start. It’ll definitely change your world. But knowing, whether negative or positive, gives you a sense of freedom from the fear of not knowing. It’s liberating, I tell you.

Knowledge. It’s all about being aware. Knowing what is and what can be and how to go about it.

If you guys want to know where to avail of the free services. Message me on Facebook or visit my aboutme page for my contact information.

Galera

Good Friday - AIDS Society of the Philippines along side by some of its partner organizations facilitated a rapid HIV counseling and testing at White Beach, Puerto Galera. Turnout was above expected as it went on until Black Saturday.

I wasn't really supposed take part in this but I felt the need for a vacation so I volunteered my holy week break to work. My currently burnt out and sluggish body, dark tan (which I hate) and raspy voice was all worth it knowing that we managed to test and counsel a lot of people and I got the bonus of making new friends. It wasn't much of a sacrifice given that I was able to

welcome my 24th birthday partying with workmates until 5am in the morning.

We arrived late in the afternoon at Sabang, Puerto Galera after being f*cked by the Batangas Port who decided to ruin our Maundy Thursday by delaying our 8:30 am departure to 3pm.

To say that their system is inefficient would be an understatement. But we managed to settle ourselves to our rooms in a lodge at White Beach (Thank you Manalo's lodge for your very hospitable accommodation to our cause). We rested a bit and started handing out fliers in the afternoon until nightfall.

Friday morning, we ate our breakfast then set up the tents to be erected in the middle of the beach. Scorching heat and barely breathable humid air met us as we tried our best to finish setting up the tents as quickly as possible, which we managed to do eventually.

Then the actual work began. I was assigned as front liner meaning I had to urge people to have themselves tested.

I was with a couple of hunks and for the life of me, I didn't know how I was going to get people to participate in our campaign, given that what we were offering was scary enough on its own, and I didn't look half as convincing and attractive as the other two. All I did was convince myself that I was twink enough for bears to gravitate (google the gay lingo).

Walking under the summer sun which I did for 2 days burnt me beyond recognition. I am now brown, thank you.

I feel very blessed to have been part of the team who did this. Positive toll went up yet again, and now I feel that the ember of me wanting to stop the spread just grew bigger and I will do something about it.

Always remember guys, Ingat Lagi (Be Safe)!

Services not provided

Fighting the good fight, unfortunately, doesn't only mean breaking the wall of stereotypes and backward cultural foundations to help bring in change. It doesn't always mean that you always have to be on the streets, bearing placards and shouting chants to oust a corrupt regime. Some of the time it also means trying to work with people that bring with them short comings and political agendas.

Ever since I've entered AIDS Society of the Philippines, I've been teased by my boss, as well as my officemates, regarding the stress that I would encounter when I get situated. Most of it, according to them, would come from the people we work with. At first I didn't get it, but in time, I finally did.

It saddens me to know that a lot of the services that should have been delivered (such as trainings for the people who care for HIV positive patients, or for the people testing for HIV, etc) are delayed and not given 'cause there are people within our partner government office (three guesses which one) who are inefficient (I seriously want to use incompetent). This in turn, makes my life difficult but the only end result that I cannot tolerate is the fact that we can't do our work well.

People can't get the services entitled to them.

Ok, so my supposedly object post ended up as a rant, but at least I got my 2 cents worth out there.

Fact: Our government and the system of governance and service provision is without the proper check and balance. Sad, but true. When will this ever change?

Fighting the good fight, getting shot continuously in the process. Braving on despite the gaping wounds.