Rationale

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks on the immune

system and corrodes people's resistance to a variety of illnesses and cancers

that healthy immune systems are better able to combat. Infected individuals

eventually lose their immunological capacity as the virus kills and damages

immune cells. CD4 cell count is commonly used to assess immune function.

Depending on the individual, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),

the most advanced stage of HIV infection, might take many years to

manifest. The emergence of certain tumors, infections, or other serious long-

term clinical symptoms is what defines AIDS.

According to WHO, there were an estimated 38.4 million [33.9–43.8

million] people living with HIV at the end of 2021, two thirds of whom

(25.6 million) are in the WHO African Region. Since 2015 the World Health

Organization has been warning the Philippines that the country has the most

rapidly escalating HIV epidemic in the world. According to PH DOH 7,363

HIV cases have been recorded in the first eight months of 2017, including

891 AIDS cases and 334 deaths. According to a press release distributed to

the media by UP Population Institute professor Maria Midea Kabamalan,

76% of young Filipinos aged 15 to 24 have heard of HIV and/or AIDS,

down 19 percentage points from 1994 when awareness was 95%. This

finding comes from the 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study.

(Philstar, 2022).

On the report of the World Health Organization (WHO), Cebu City in

the Philippines has a high incidence of HIV among teens. According to

WHO, the degree of HIV implementation and awareness among teens in

Cebu City is insufficient. This is due to a lack of youth-friendly HIV

counseling and testing services, accurate HIV information, and a lack of

comprehensive sexuality education.

Therefore, this study was done to identify the Level of

implementation and awareness on RA 11166 among teenagers in Cebu City.

The researchers' objective was to measure how the level of the strategies can

help teenagers to be more knowledgeable about the HIV epidemic. The

study also provided a recommendation plan concerning the problem

presented.