VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) -- The Department of Health Center for Health Development I (DOH-CHD I) encouraged the public, Tuesday, April 2, to help debunk misconceptions on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

“Clarifying misconstrued beliefs on HIV and AIDS is one of our goals in the DOH,” Dr. Rheuel C. Bobis, head of the infectious diseases cluster of the DOH-CHD1 said in  Ammuentayo, a tele-radio program of the Philippine Information Agency Ilocos Sur Information Center.

Addressing the false notions on the transmission of the disease, Bobis said, “We want to remind the people that HIV and AIDS are only spread through four ways.”

One, according to Bobis, is through engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse with a person living with HIV or AIDS; when they do it without using protection such as condoms.

Second, it can be transmitted when sharing syringes with said patients.

Third is the mother-to-child transmission—where a mother may spread the virus to her baby during pregnancy.

The fourth one is through blood transfusion, which happens when a person is transfused with blood that has HIV.

“Although, this fourth one is extremely rare because everyone who donates blood goes through rigorous screening to ensure transmission of diseases due to blood transfusion does not happen,” Bobis emphasized.

He also reiterated, “So, this statement that we can acquire HIV and/or AIDS by sharing utensils, kissing, and hugging is not true.”

Bobis added that these diseases do not spread just by interacting or having skin-to-skin contact with a person living with HIV or AIDS.

He also reminded the public that the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) for HIV or AIDS is available for free at treatment hubs.

There are five hubs in Region 1, at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Medical Center in Ilocos Norte, the Lacasandile Medical Clinic and Diagnostic Center and the Ilocos Sur Provincial Hospital - Gabriela Silang in Ilocos Sur, the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in La Union, and the Pangasinan Region 1 Medical Center.

"It is very important for all our HIV and AIDS patients to take their ART religiously because it will lower the level of virus where it will become undetectable," he said.

He added this will mean the HIV/AIDS will be untransmittable and they can live normally. (JCR/MJTAB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)