In its latest report, the HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) recorded new HIV-positive individuals for the month of June, the number reaching 1,013 nationwide.
Of the total, half or 507 were in the 25-34 age group; 321 in the 15-24 age bracket; 153 in the 35-49 age range; 24 were 50 years old and above; and eight were less than 15 years old.
A total of 72 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were also found to have acquired HIV/AIDS in June, majority of whom were infected through sexual contact.
Sexual contact continued to be the primary mode of transmission with a total of 969 cases. Homosexual contact accounted for 554 cases; bisexual contact, 264 cases; and heterosexual contact, 151 cases.
A total of 25 cases shared infected needles, and seven were cases of mother-to-child transmission.
The June figure brings the number of reported new HIV cases to 5,401 in the first half of the year.
HARP also reported that 125 had developed full-blown AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), and that 29 had died of the disease last June.
This brings the number of AIDS cases to 641 and the number of deaths to 216 the number in the first six months of the year.
(Report via PNA)
