MODULE 5.1.2.

HIV/ AIDS

A. DEFINITION
HIV (HUMAN IMMUNO-DEFICIENCY VIRUS) IS A VIRUS THAT ATTACKS IMMUNE
CELLS. AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNO-DEFICIENCY SYNDROME) IS THE SYNDROME, WHICH
MAY OR MAY NOT APPEAR IN THE ADVANCED STAGE OF HIV INFECTION. THUS, HIV IS
A VIRUS WHILE AIDS IS A MEDICAL CONDITION.
HIV INFECTION CAN CAUSE AIDS TO DEVELOP. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE TO
CONTRACT HIV WITHOUT DEVELOPING AIDS. WITHOUT TREATMENT, HIV CAN
PROGRESS AND, EVENTUALLY, IT WILL DEVELOP INTO AIDS.

PREVALENCE
THERE ARE ABOUT 38.4 MILLION PEOPLE GLOBALLY WERE LIVING WITH HIV IN
2021. ALTHOUGHT THERE WAS A DECLINE IN THE PAST YEARS, BUT THERE WERE STILL
1.5 MILLION NEW INFECTIONS IN 2021, OR ABOUT 4,000 NEW INFECTIONS PER DAY. OF
THE people living with HIV, 36.7 million are adults and 1.7 million are children. About one in six people
with HIV (15%0 are still unaware they are infected. HIV remains a leading cause of death worldwide
and the leading cause of death globally among women of reproductive age. 650,000 people died of AIDS
in 2021. Young people, ages 15-24, account for almost a third (31%) of new HIV infections and in
particular face barriers to accessing reproductive health services, including age-appropriate
comprehensive sexuality education.
In the Philippines in 2022, there were roughly 14,970 reported cases of HIV/AIDS. Majority of
the cases this year were diagnosed among the male population. In 2022, DOH reported a 21 % increase in
the number of new HIV cases. There were 1,292 new cases of HIV positive individuals that were
recorded in February 2023, as cited to the recent data released by HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the
Philippines (HARP) and were accounted to the total (112,028) reported cases since January 1984. Of the
total reported cases this period, 1.236 (96%) were male while 54 (4%) were female. Moreover, 695 (54%)
were cisgender, 37 (3%) were transgender women, eight (1%) identified as others, five (<1%) as neither
man nor woman. Fifty-six (56) of the new cases were below 19 years old and since January of this year,
seven (7) were children below 10 years old. Of the new cases, 1,365 were acquired through sexual contact
– 998 of them were male having sex with male, 193 were males having sex with female, and 240 were
males with sexual relations with both male and female. The figure indicates an average of 46 new HIV
cases reported each day. The first case of HIV infection in the Philippines was reported in 1984.

The HIV epidemic does not only affect the physical health of individuals but also his/her
emotional, psychological and social well - being, in addition it also affects family members, relatives,
communities, as well as the development and economic growth of the country.
HIV is Transmitted Through:
1. Sexual transmission
It can happen when there is contact with infected sexual fluids (rectal, genital, or oral mucous
membranes). Sexual transmission can be through male-female sex; male-male sex and or sex with males
and females.
2. Mother to Child transmission
A mother can transmit HIV to her child during childbirth, pregnancy, and also through
breastfeeding.
3. Blood transmission
This happens through transfusion of contaminated blood. However, the risk of transmitting HIV
through blood transfusion is extremely low in developed countries, thanks to meticulous screening and
precautions.
4. Sharing Syringes
This happens through exposure to needles or other devices with HIV-infected blood. This is true
among people who inject illegal drugs, sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected
blood, and unsafe tattoo needles.
HIV is not Transmitted Through:
 Kissing
 Casual Contacts or Handshakes
 Coughing or Sneezing
 Sharing living quarters, swimming pool or toilets with a person living with HIV
 Mosquitoes and bed bugs

Biblical Perspective
The Bible teaches us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and it belongs to God. We have
to glorify God in our body and in our spirit because we belong to God (I Corinthians 6: 19-20). Glorifying
God through our body means being conscious of every physical activity that we undertake if it gives
glory to God or not. Every action that we have to undertake should always be questioned whether it is
beneficial to us, others and the community and most of all if it glorifies God. The responsible use of our
physical bodies is a manifestation of our stewardship of what God had entrusted to us.
On the other hand, the Bible also teaches us not to judge others. Matthew 7:1 says, “Judge not,
that ye be not judged (KJV). People living with HIV/AIDS are stigmatized by the society and treated with
partiality. Just like Jesus showed His love to everyone, we also have to love others and treat them equally.
Since people living with HIV/AIDS also need a community that accepts, care and love.
Questions to Reflect:
1. How can one be a good steward of his/her physical body?
2. How can one avoid being infected with HIV?
3. How are we going to relate with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV/AIDS)?