Nearly 700 OFWs get infected with HIV/AIDS

The Department of Health in Manila

MANILA—Nearly 700 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the first nine months of 2018, according to the latest data from the Philippine Department of Health.

The DOH-Epidemiology Bureau said 697 OFWs tested positive from January to September for the virus, which causes the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). These OFWs worked in different countries around the world.

“Eighty-three people who worked overseas within the past five years of diagnosis, whether on land or at sea, were diagnosed in September 2018,” the DOH said in a report.

“They comprise nine percent of the total newly diagnosed cases for the month,” it added.

The health department said that of the 83 OFWs who tested positive in September, 73 were male and 10 were female.

“Among the female OFWs diagnosed in September 2018, one diagnosed case was from 15-24 age group, four cases were from the 25-34 and five were from 35-49 age groups,” the DOH said.

It added that the age range among newly diagnosed female OFWs was 22 to 49 years, with the median age being 35 years old.

“The ages of male OFWs ranged from 23 to 67 years (median: 32 years) while 55 percent of the cases belonged to the 25-34 year age group,” the DOH said.

“Almost all of those who tested positive in September were infected through sexual contact (23 male-female sex, 38 male-male sex, and 21 sex with both males and females),” it added.

The DOH said that a total of 6,135 OFWs had tested positive for HIV/AIDS since 1984 until September 2018. Of this number, 5,280 were male (83 percent) and 855 were female.

Majority of the male cases (71 percent) were infected through sexual contact among MSM (2,176 male-male sex and 1,586 sex with both males and females), the health department said.

The ages of male OFWs ranged from 16 to 80 years (median: 32 years). Among female OFWs, ages ranged from 20 to 73 years (median: 34 years old), it added.