15/05/2015
National Youth Commission
KNOW YOUR HIV STATUS. Check out Comm. Perci Cendaña's column on HIV testing published in Sun Star Baguio today.
KNOW YOUR STATUS
By Perci Cendaña
Commissioner, NYC
What's your status?
Each day millions of status updates are made on Facebook by the 1.44 billion users worldwide. An international study revealed that 15 percent of FB users update their status at least once a day. For many young people, it is more frequent. This practice has become a phenomenon among the young who feel the need to constantly share with their online friends their activities, places they've been to, what they ate, plans, feelings, opinions, rants and ideas.
For a nation of more than 30 million FB users, updating one's status has become some sort of a national habit. But there is a status that each Filipino, young and old, must know and update.
What's your HIV status?
The world took notice of the HIV and AIDS incidence in the Philippines because of the alarming trend in the rate of infection. With 22 unique daily detections (almost 1 infection in every hour) or the average number of Filipinos who test positive for HIV every day, the HIV and AIDS incidence in the country has been aptly called "fast and furious". Data from the March 2015 HIV and AIDS Registry of the Department of Health (DOH) show that 26% percent of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are from young people 15 to 24 years old. This illustrates the vulnerability of the Filipino youth to this global pandemic.
The National Youth Commission lauds the campaign of the DOH to encourage people to get tested for HIV. Alarmed by the still increasing HIV and AIDS incidence in the country, the DOH will conduct free HIV screening services from May 11 to 15 in 39 clinics nationwide. Billed as the National HIV Testing Week, the campaign precedes the observance of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial on May 17. This aims to inform, de-stigmatize, de-mystify and promote HIV testing to key populations at higher risks for HIV.
The NYC supports free, voluntary and confidential HIV testing specially among the young. Knowing one's HIV status is a key to wellness and well-being. But because of the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS and the lack of knowledge about it, getting tested could be stressful for some. Overcoming fear is usually the first challenge that one must conquer. To help people with this, there are pre and post counseling sessions which are mandated elements of HIV screening. There is also a very strict privacy and confidentiality policy which guarantees the rights of those getting tested.
The entry to prevention, care and support is early knowledge of HIV status through voluntary counseling and testing. HIV testing is the foundation for both prevention and care efforts.
Early detection is empowering as it informs and enables the individuals to take action for both their own health and the public health. Early detection is the gateway to early care and treatment of PLHIV which substantially reduces their risk of transmitting HIV to others.
So the next time you update your FB status, remember that you should also know your HIV status.
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HIV Testing in Baguio. Avail of the free, voluntary and confidential HIV screening in Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) HIV-AIDS Core Team Treatment Hub and Baguio City Health Department Social Hygiene Clinic.
