VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) — Ilocos Sur residents are encouraged to avail of the free Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) screening in rural health units (RHU) and at the Ilocos Sur Provincial Hospital – Gabriela Silang in this city.
“We encourage all of you to get tested because knowing your status is the best weapon against HIV/AIDS,” said Jay Leonard Roldan, president of the MARIS ti Ayat Incorporated, an LGBTQIA+ organization in the province.
He reiterated that if one truly loves their partner and the people around them, they must make sure they are marked safe from infections.
The MARIS ti Ayat Inc., along with the provincial health office (PHO), served as the partner of the Provincial Youth Development Office (PYDO) in providing free testing and orientation during the province’s Pride Month Volleyball Tournament on June 22 at San Vicente town’s gymnasium.
“This project, in collaboration with the PHO and the city health office, will continuously provide free screening to anyone who is willing to get tested,” Roldan added.
He said that even pregnant women are now required to get tested to ensure their safety and of their unborn children.
During the event, they talked about HIV/AIDS prevention, symptoms, treatment, and transmission.
He explained, “Two to three weeks after exposure to unprotected sex, they should observe if they have fever, rashes, itch, sore throat, or pain in their private organs which are possible signs of infection.”
When said symptoms are observed, he advised that one should immediately consult a doctor, and visit the nearest RHUs or the Ilocos Sur Provincial Hospital-Gabriela Silang which is open for HIV/AIDS counseling, screening, and medication.
Francis Delgado, a member of the community who was among the first to get screened, said this initiative of the provincial government led by the PYDO is essential in raising awareness on HIV/AIDS.
“It is nice that they invited MARIS ti Ayat Inc. to hold the screening for free and to educate the participants here because not everyone is fully knowledgeable of HIV/AIDS,” Delgado said.
Further, Roldan clarified that HIV and AIDS are different; HIV is the virus, while AIDS is the severe condition caused by the virus.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), HIV is a virus that causes the immune system to weaken. When the body no longer has enough white blood cells, an individual is said to have AIDS.
He said that based on reports as of 2023, Region I ranks fourth in the most number of HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines, and the highest record is from the LGBTQIA+ community.
The reports from the DOH Region I forwarded to the PHO state there were 3,329 cases in the region in 2023, of which 481 were recorded in Ilocos Sur.
As of the latest report in April 2024, there were 18 new cases in the province this year, and 174 new cases in the whole region. (MJTAB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)
