Jakarta – The waiting area on the third floor of a shopping center in Manila feels comfortable despite the crowd. Young men and women are sitting on plush light blue sofas next to a table with condoms, some unscented and others with chocolate scent. Lubricants are also neatly arranged next to small pamphlets containing tips for maintaining safe and enjoyable sexual relations.
Dr. Jeremy Jordan Castro, a medical officer from the HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing center Klinika Eastwood, told DW that the comfort offered by the clinic was intentional. Why?
“We want to normalize HIV and STI testing as part of routine healthcare. With advances in treatment and technology, HIV can now be managed as a chronic condition like hypertension or diabetes,” he explained.
Most of the clinic’s services, which include STI screenings and treatments to prevent HIV before or after potential exposure, are offered for free and explained by a gender-diverse team trained to provide confidential counseling.
Klinika Eastwood is part of the broader government initiative to eliminate stigma surrounding sexual health care, promote HIV testing and treatment, and reduce the alarming rise of HIV infections in the Philippines, especially among young people.
According to a global report from UNAIDS released earlier this month, the country has seen a shocking 543% increase in new infections between 2010 and 2023.
Although still a low-incidence country, with a total number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) at 189,900 last year, the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) has warned that if this trend continues, the number of PLHIV could rise to 448,000 by 2030.
Youth Most Affected by HIV
Contrary to the global trend of managing and reducing HIV infections, the Philippines has become an anomaly, now facing an estimated 50 new infections diagnosed every day. Almost half of the new infections in 2024 occurred among individuals aged 15-24 years, with MSM (men who have sex with men) accounting for 89% of these cases.
“We are seeing infection rates that remind us of New York or San Francisco during the peak of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s,” said Benedict Bernabe, head of the HIV awareness and advocacy group The Red Whistle.
Bernabe noted that since 2005, new infection cases have shifted, particularly among men who have sex with men. He emphasized the need for government healthcare resources to adapt, with a focus on improving testing and interventions targeted to this demographic group.
Gibby Gorres of the Southeast Asia Against Stigma collective acknowledged that the rise in recorded HIV cases among youth partly reflects the government’s decision to lower the HIV testing age without parental consent to 15. However, he warned against moral panic in this predominantly Catholic nation.
“We cannot ignore the fact that young people are sexually active, some with one or multiple partners. We need to equip them with accurate sexual health information and allow them to access testing and treatment safely,” said Gorres.
Missed Opportunities for Early Intervention
One in three people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Philippines is diagnosed at an advanced stage, often not detected until a secondary infection such as tuberculosis or pneumonia is found. In 2023, delayed diagnoses led to 1,700 AIDS-related deaths, despite global advances in treatments such as pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP), which are available for free at government-run clinics.
However, government data shows that only 13% of key populations are aware of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and only 60% know that HIV testing is free.
“The high number of late-stage diagnoses underscores the urgent need for accessible and timely HIV testing,” said Lui Ocampo, Executive Director of UNAIDS Philippines.
Currently, an estimated 40% of PLHIV in the Philippines are undiagnosed, due to misconceptions about HIV and low public awareness. Among some communities, such as transgender women (TGW) and female sex workers (FSW), knowledge of HIV is still very low, around 30%.
A Long Road Ahead
Elena Felix has lived with HIV for 30 years. The 66-year-old grandmother recalls her diagnosis in the 1990s, when doctors told her she would have no more than 10 years to live.
Today, Felix is a strong advocate for the rights of people living with HIV, leading the Association of Positive Women Advocates Inc. (APWAI), a support and advocacy group for women living with HIV. She was one of the complainants in a landmark case against lawyer Larry Gadon, who insinuated that former President Benigno Aquino III died from AIDS. Aquino died of kidney disease in 2021.
Gadon even mocked and threatened PLHIV who intended to file complaints, warning they would be publicly shamed. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled to revoke Gadon’s license to practice law. Felix hopes that the victory sends a powerful message: HIV status should never be used to shame or discredit anyone.
“If some people think they can use misinformation about HIV to shame and degrade a former president, it can be very damaging and despairing, especially for young people. We need to change the blame-the-victim mentality that says if you get HIV, it’s a death sentence for your actions,” concluded Felix to DW.
