The Philippines belong to most countries who experiencing the continually epidemic HIV, human immune deficiency virus that can destroy your immunity particularly the white blood cells that helping your body to keep away from foreign substances and killed them. AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is different from HIV, it is a syndrome that can be acquired to a person which is infected with the virus and there is no cure for it, but it can be controllable by the antiretroviral treatment for life long and healthy life. People fear how this virus can infect them and they don't have enough knowledge for this virus. HIV/AIDS can be transferred to another person through sex in an infected person, by not using condoms or contraceptives and if the blood of the infected person enters the person body like practice of injection drug use (IDU).
According to the department of health 2005, that most cases who acquired this virus are heterosexuals. Men who are having sex with men or bisexuals. They have the highest risk that can have this virus without proper using of contraceptives and safeties. Every year the number of people who are getting infected is increasing and this is not good for the country. Moreover, young people at the age of 15 to 24 years old are also infected by this virus and sexual contact it was estimated at 89% National Epidemiology center at the DOH, while according to the Philippines National AIDS Council (PNAC), that the most risk is the sex workers (FSWs) including with Male to Male and Injection drug use. This are the evidences showing that the epidemic of HIV/AIDS are annually rising and increasing its number every year, this is alarming, and we need to be aware to the issues happening to our country especially this kind of problem that we need to take care of.
There are several agencies and organizations that helping the people to prevent HIV. First, is Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC). This was created to advice the government on the development of policies to aid the people who is infected by the virus and prevent the HIV/AIDS. This organization made a policy making body through governmental and non-governmental agencies. Likewise, the Philippine AIDS prevention and control act mandates implementation to control this disease. On the other hand, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) made a forum to help the people who are infected this infectious disease, to achieve their goal to solve and face this disease. There are more agencies and organizations with the same objectives as those examples given. Students and Researcher are doing their best to study and find cure to prevent HIV/AIDS.
The government are acting step by step to lessen the HIV/AIDS. They made a program like Condom Distribution Programs (CDPs) their goal is to promote the distribution of condoms among people at high risk to sexual transmission of HIV especially youth. With the help of the individuals and group level-interventions they are sharing their knowledge, skills and trainings to prevent HIV/AIDS. Schools clinics and hospitals are prioritized to give and distribute condoms among the students by Department of health to prevent the unwanted pregnancies and sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS by the Department of health. This will alert them on how HIV/AIDS can destroy their lives. Moreover, they strengthen the education to the youth to be aware to this issues that our country facing today. Government did also a non-formal education to the people that can be held inside of the schools and health institutions and outside the community. In addition, we Filipino citizens can encourage the government to collaborate on different government, to have links to health services, and lastly, is to establish trainings to prevent HIV/AIDS.
Proper use of contraceptives, education, programs and trainings will be very useful to combat this disease let’s do our best to cooperate with each other and collaborate with other countries. let's help each other by disseminate the information about how to prevent this epidemic; HIV. As a youth and a Filipino citizen let's do our best to spread awareness for the better and development of our country.