Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said there should be a massive education drive on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the schools in the city. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella wants the youth in the city to be educated properly on the risks and effects of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Labella said the increased number of HIV cases in Cebu City, which has reached 3,898, is a cause for concern, especially that most new cases are recorded within the age group 15 to 25 years old.
Cebu City leads Central Visayas in the number of HIV cases.
Read: Cebu City Health Department needs more funds to treat HIV patients
The mayor said there should be a massive education drive in the schools in the city, whether public or private, to discuss HIV and how the youths can prevent themselves from contracting it.
HIV is passed on between humans through sexual intercourse and blood-to-blood transmission such as sharing needles.
Labella urged the schools to discourage students from engaging in risky sexual activities in order to avoid contracting HIV.
Read: LoveYourself brings ‘safe space’ to Cebu
“We should teach the youth on the risks of indiscriminate and risky sexual activities that may cause the spread of HIV. But I think what is most alarming is HIV contracted by sharing needles because of using drugs,” said the mayor.
He said that HIV passed on through needles poses a bigger problem, involving the “still” wide-spread use of drugs among the youth.
Labella said this is a serious problem that is plaguing the city because even with the serious efforts on the anti-illegal campaign, drug addiction still prevails among the youth.
Read: Why one should visit the LoveYourself White House
With this, Labella said the city will continue its campaign against illegal drugs as its eradication would ripple a solution to other problems such as the rising cases of HIV.
There is a a community center where persons who are possibly infected with HIV and AIDS can be screened, counselled, and informed in order to prevent more individuals from being infected.
This is the LoveYourself White House located in J. Llorente Street in Barangay Capitol Site in Cebu City. /bmjo