DOH: Over 400 new HIV cases in the Philippines linked to paid sex

National

OVER 400 new HIV cases in the Philippines’ third quarter have been traced to paid sexual activity, according to the Department of Health (DOH), highlighting the continuing role of transactional sex in the country’s HIV epidemic.

Data from the HIV and AIDS Surveillance of the Philippines show that 429 individuals who engaged in paid sex tested positive for HIV between July and September, accounting for roughly nine percent of the 5,583 new cases recorded in the period.

“429 or nine percent of the newly diagnosed HIV patients engaged in transactional sex in the past 12 months… 173 of the cases paid for sex; 171 of them are men,” the DOH said in a Philstar article.

The report also indicated that 178 cases involved individuals who accepted payment for sex, most of whom were men. Meanwhile, 78 cases reported both paying for and receiving payment for sex, including the majority being male.

Since the monitoring of transactional sex began in December 2012, a total of 17,577 HIV cases have been linked to this activity. More than half of these, 57 percent or 9,953 cases, were diagnosed from 2020 to 2025, with nearly half of this group having paid for sex.

HIV continues to affect women, including pregnant individuals. In the third quarter, 56 women aged 15 to 39 tested positive for HIV while pregnant. The DOH noted that reporting of pregnancy status in the HIV and AIDS Registry began in 2011, and since then a total of 1,118 women were diagnosed while pregnant.

Geographically, the National Capital Region recorded the highest number of new HIV cases during the quarter, reflecting the concentration of infections in urban areas.(MyTVCebu)