Catholic prelate supports voluntary HIV test for OFWs
Published Sep 11, 2018 01:27 pm
By Leslie Ann Aquino
A Catholic prelate on Tuesday supported the calł of a lawmaker for returning migrant workers to have themselves voluntarily tested for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) especially if they engaged in high-risk sexual behavior.
Bishop Ruperto Santos
(CBCP / MANILA BULLETIN) Bishop Ruperto Santos, chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People, said this is in order to protect the persons concerned as well their families. "We support this as it is protection for the persons involved and their families," he said in an interview. But the Balanga prelate said such test should be voluntary and private. "It should be very private, voluntary and personal identities should be respected so that they will not be publicly blamed or ostracised," said Santos. Amid the increasing number of HIV cases, the CBCP official reiterated the importance of being faithful to one's marital partner. "Our Church always teaches fidelity to marital partners, abstinence and sacrifices so that not inflict harm nor endanger their loved ones," Santos said. On Sunday, ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III urged overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who engaged in risky sexual behavior to voluntarily get tested for HIV as OFWs with HIV now account for 10 percent of all cases in the National HIV and AIDS Registry of the Department of Health (DOH). "The DOH has 60 HIV treatment hubs across the country plus 33 primary health care facilities that provide outpatient care services to returning OFWs and other citizens living with the virus,” Bertiz said. He said a total of 451 OFWs were newly diagnosed with the HIV from January to June this year, up 14.4 percent compared to the 394 listed in the same six-month period in 2017. Of the 56,275 cases listed in the registry from January 1984 to June 2018, the lawmaker said 5,889 are OFWs. The DOH said early detection and antiretroviral treatment have been known to slow down the advance of HIV, which causes the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a fatal infection that has yet no cure.
Bishop Ruperto Santos(CBCP / MANILA BULLETIN) Bishop Ruperto Santos, chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People, said this is in order to protect the persons concerned as well their families. "We support this as it is protection for the persons involved and their families," he said in an interview. But the Balanga prelate said such test should be voluntary and private. "It should be very private, voluntary and personal identities should be respected so that they will not be publicly blamed or ostracised," said Santos. Amid the increasing number of HIV cases, the CBCP official reiterated the importance of being faithful to one's marital partner. "Our Church always teaches fidelity to marital partners, abstinence and sacrifices so that not inflict harm nor endanger their loved ones," Santos said. On Sunday, ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III urged overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who engaged in risky sexual behavior to voluntarily get tested for HIV as OFWs with HIV now account for 10 percent of all cases in the National HIV and AIDS Registry of the Department of Health (DOH). "The DOH has 60 HIV treatment hubs across the country plus 33 primary health care facilities that provide outpatient care services to returning OFWs and other citizens living with the virus,” Bertiz said. He said a total of 451 OFWs were newly diagnosed with the HIV from January to June this year, up 14.4 percent compared to the 394 listed in the same six-month period in 2017. Of the 56,275 cases listed in the registry from January 1984 to June 2018, the lawmaker said 5,889 are OFWs. The DOH said early detection and antiretroviral treatment have been known to slow down the advance of HIV, which causes the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a fatal infection that has yet no cure.