Not every alarm comes with a sound. Some accrue with numbers.
Alarms are apprehended with noises, often recognized by volume—sirens and blaring sounds, aiming not to be ignored. However, not all such announce themselves through loud sirens. Some tend to take shape through patterns in statistics. One of these is the surge in HIV cases in the Philippines –one that warns through numbers, not noise.
At its core, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, commonly known as HIV, is an opportunistic infection and advanced-stage disease that weakens the immune system. This can be transmitted through unprotected sex, sharing of contaminated needles, and from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding. In the Philippines, the virus lingered beneath the surface for decades, yet after the last 10 years, it has turned into a warning signal, though devoid of a blaring siren, with a staggering 129% increase in cases.
The increase might appear alarming, yet we should look beyond numbers. Thus, this increasing data prompts us to ask: Is this the virus growing—or could this alarm actually mean we’re finally paying attention?
Lies at the center of this crisis is the crack in the country’s comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). Arising from the rigid religious ideologies and traditional norms, the implementation of CSE lags at a gradual pace. This gap withheld a space for an informed and open dialogue on important topics such sex safe, condoms, hiv prevention, among others, leaving Filipinos adrift in misinformation and hushed rumors. Dodging these conversations isn’t protection as it leaves people defenseless.
According to Andyleen Feje, HIV Response Analyst of UNDP Philippines, the vulnerability of young people to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is rooted in knowledge gaps, misinformation, and lack of peer education. Clearly, HIV thrives in the shadows of ignorance. Thus, when we are too ashamed to talk about sex, when comprehensive sexual health education is watered down to lessons on abstinence and chastity, when the idea that HIV is a "death sentence” runs rampant – that's when the virus gains power, spreading faster like a wildfire.
This ignorance could further morph into stigma, a collective neglect that fuels the spike by creating fear and prejudice, subverting every attempt for prevention, testing, and treatment. In the Philippines, a country gripped by discrimination, especially against the LGBTQIA+ community, stepping into testing centers has become synonymous with a public spectacle where shame and judgement, instead of support, welcomes you. It's as if merely seeking an HIV test, let alone a positive diagnosis, is a death sentence. This pervasive inhumane deed, deeply ingrained in our collective consciousness, actively discourages individuals from seeking vital care.
However, in defiance of these barriers, there is progress. Transcending beyond as a mere crisis, the increasing data also denotes an imperative improvement of healthcare services. Unlike years ago, the country now offers various clinics and testing centers, improving the HIV testing methods. In addition, non-governmental organizations such as LoveYourself Inc. and AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) have spearheaded accessible and responsive services especially in hard- reached sectors. Similarly, self-test kits are also available nationwide.
This improved accessibility means more people are getting tested, shrinking the "untested population." In addition, early detection prompts initiate treatment that can slim down the virus to undetectable levels. As what the U=U (Undetectable =Untransmittable) explains, when the virus becomes undetectable through proper treatment such as the Antiretroviral Therapy, it can no longer be transmitted sexually – a scientific fact that shuts the door on baseless collective bigotry exacerbating stigma and ignorance.
This, in itself, is a hard-won victory against stigma, a testament to the fact that people are slowly, bravely, stepping forward. However, this glimmer of progress must not lull us into complacency. The fact that a national health emergency for HIV is only now being considered, with numbers already screaming for attention, is a testament to delayed action. This crisis could have been mitigated, if not prevented, with immediate and decisive action from the national government down to local government units. The cost of inaction is measured in lives, in shattered futures, and in the continued spread of a preventable and manageable disease.
The increasing statistics of HIV cases in the Philippines should not be ignored, nor should they induce panic. They are presented to spark action — a clarion call for society to fully choose education over tradition and empathy over stigma. Only then can we learn to approach HIV with understanding, sympathy, and embrace those who live with it with respect and care. This silent alarm carries a weight that should reverberate through every corner of our nation, urging us to care and to do so much better.