Youth: The vulnerable population for HIV-AIDS BY HANNA MAE SALCEDO
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mong the most vulnerable population for HIV are young people who are sexually active, Dr. Jordiana R. Ramiterre said, head of Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) of the Davao City Health Office. Ramiterre said it is all because of the heavy influence of media and online social networking sites that today’s youth are more liberated. Most of them are sexually active nowadays and exploration also happens during adolescents. “It’s difficult to monitor the affairs and engagements of the youth, including students, given the presence of modern communication equipment that they also
possess. Most of the time, parents are not aware of persons whom they are communicating with,” Ramiterre added. However, Dr. Ramiterre said the key affected population are those people in prostitution, those people engaging in MSM’s (men having sex with men) and injecting drug users. The number of cases with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) are increasing as RHWC recorded 765 HIV cases of HIV-AIDS in region XI. In months of January to August of this year shows that there are 112 cases of HIV positive individuals.
January- 20, February- 10, March- 13, April- 17, May12, June- 16, July- 14 and August- 10. “Cases are increasing every month. But these are actually clinic base. It does not speak for Davao City or Region XI,” Dr. Ramiterre said. RHWC, in partnership with Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and the Alliance against AIDS in Mindanao (ALAGAD-Mindanao), is a clinic and testing/screening center under the city health office that serves as an access and service center for persons with HIV-AIDS. Apart from giving free HIV testing, the RHWC and other institutions here
also provide HIV education and prevention, even going down to the barangay level. Dr. Ramiterre explained that HIV causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) wherein an infected person’s immune system is totally impaired, usually leading to death. However, medication can delay the onset of AIDS, managing HIV and AIDS is actually prevention of opportunistic infection that can cause other illness to those people who are living with HIV-AIDS. “But ultimately, there is no cure. The Anti-retroviral drug just suppresses the virus and it needs maintenance,” Dr. Ramiterre said. The anti-retroviral
drugs are free through Phil Health, but it is just for HIV. If the person has acquired other infection due lack of immune defence the treatment for that is not free anymore. But according to Dr. Ramiterre, the most important thing to do to prevent HIV-AIDS is to be educated. Dr. Ramiterre said that fear of stigma and discrimination are the main reasons why people are hesitant to undergo HIV testing. “It’s your choice because the services are already in place. People often asked what the go-
vernment is doing, because it’s rising (HIV-AIDS). But the thing is, what are individuals doing to protect themselves? I think every individual should be responsible,” Dr. Ramiterre added. Testing and treatment are free through Phil Health. And there are also groups doing psychosocial support, advocacy, and education. Dr. Ramiterre said that young people have to be educated; they have to know their own risk, because they are the ones preventing these things from happening. It’s not government preventing it from happening.
Izzy: The secret ingredient BY CHRISTINE JOICE CUDIS
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tatements of disgust went all over the social networking sites when one of the Atenista’s secret ingredient to their favorite drink was revealed to public. Around 2:30 in the afternoon of August 30, a poor fourth year student Julio Marco Serrano bought a medium-sized Mocha Latte from Ice Capades. Everything was normal after that because it was his usual routine to buy drinks from the food court every day. It was not until he felt something stuck in his straw. It may be a small piece of ice that is in the straw so he just did not mind it and continued sipping the yummy drink. But when he the stuck object finally went out his
friends were shouting and screaming in fright of what they saw from Serrano’s mouth. What appeared to be a chocolate chip was not really chocolate at all; it was Izzy, as what he fondly named it, the ipis’ (cockroach) right eye and with its head attached. Serrano did not yet panicked but he wondered if Izzy’s head was in his drink, then where is the rest of its body? He decided to empty his already one-thirds full cup in the ground, and there lied the naked body of Izzy the ipis, swarming in the remains of the Mocha Latte, never thought why it has that shade of brown until Marco posted the picture on the networking site on the same day.
The victim reported the incident to Office of the Student Affairs (OSA) to appeal for what had happened. “I remembered sabi nung mga taga OSA kanina na dapat Ipiscapades ang new name ng store nila.”, added Serrano. Days after the uproar, the stall of Ice Capades has finally ended its years of business with the school. Christine Mae Lape, a student who was a loyal customer of the shop said that “I felt that I also drank cockroach. It was so horrible; I can’t even drink the same flavor anymore.” Until today, the Ice Capades have not given any statement with regards to this issue. And up to this date they are still under suspension by the OSA.