“JOHN,” a third year college student decided to avail of the free Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) check of the Department of Health (DOH).
He admitted that he felt bothered by the possibility of contracting HIV after engaging in sexual intercourse with his German boyfriend.
Dr. Jonathan Erasmo, HIV and STD prevention and control program manager of the DOH-7, said 13 of the 1,500 persons who availed of free testing initially tested positive for HIV.
He said the results are still subject to confirmatory tests. The subjects were aged 21 and 32 years old and were mostly males.
Erasmo said HIV is acquired through multiple sexual partners, unprotected sex and contaminated injectables.
In Cebu province, Erasmo said there were 1,472 persons who availed of free HIV tests at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), Mandaue City District Hospital and the Lapu-Lapu City District Hospital.
Last May 5, the DOH-7 said Central Visayas has the second most number of HIV cases in the country.
There were 67 persons who were found positive of HIV in Cebu, 58 in Bohol, six in Negros Oriental and two in Siquijor.