ILOILO City – Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in this city are no longer confined to adults, with teenagers and students now emerging among confirmed cases, alarming health officials who warn that risky sexual behavior is starting at increasingly younger ages, according to the City Health Office (CHO).
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells, weakening a person’s ability to fight infections. If left untreated, HIV can progress to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a life-threatening condition.
Dr. Odette Villareal, HIV Coordinator and head of the CHO’s Social Hygiene Clinic, said the city is seeing HIV, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases among adolescents as young as 16 to 19 years old — many of them still in school.
“What we are seeing now is very alarming. HIV cases in Iloilo City are getting younger and younger. We already have cases aged 17, 18, and 19 years old, and many of them are still students,” Villareal said. “And it’s not just HIV — we are also seeing a high number of syphilis and gonorrhea cases.”
She cited a particularly troubling case involving a 16-year-old pregnant girl who tested HIV-positive along with her partner, underscoring what she described as a growing lack of awareness — or disregard — for sexual health risks among the youth.
HIV is primarily transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, sharing of contaminated needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
Based on consolidated data from government and private laboratories, Iloilo City has recorded 1,770 HIV cases, with local trends mirroring regional and national patterns.
Most cases involve males, with the highest concentration in the 25- to 34-year-old age group, followed by those aged 15 to 24.
“Most of those affected are males, and the age group most impacted is 25 to 34 years old, followed by 15 to 24 years old,” Villareal explained. “In terms of transmission, the highest remains MSM or males having sex with males. The second is bisexual transmission… The third mode of transmission is heterosexual.”
Villareal stressed that while the bulk of cases still fall under young adults, the steady appearance of teenage patients is a disturbing shift.
“Cases are becoming younger. We see 18-year-olds, 17-year-olds, even 19-year-olds coming to the Social Hygiene Clinic. Many of them are still students,” she said.
To stem the rise, health officials renewed their call for consistent condom use, early testing, and responsible sexual behavior.
“Condom use is still one of the most effective ways to prevent HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancies,” Villareal said.
She assured the public that HIV testing is free at the Social Hygiene Clinic, while treatment and medication are provided at no cost through accredited treatment hubs.
As part of prenatal care, all nine district health centers in the city refer pregnant women for mandatory HIV and syphilis testing.
“If a pregnant woman turns out reactive for HIV, we immediately refer her to a treatment hub of her choice for proper care and support,” Villareal said.
Iloilo City currently has five HIV treatment hubs — two private hospitals and three public or non-government facilities.
Villareal clarified that the Social Hygiene Clinic serves mainly as a testing and referral facility.
“When a client tests reactive, we send their blood sample to the REDVA Center… for confirmatory testing. Once confirmed, the client is informed and referred to the treatment hub they prefer,” she said.
Health authorities said intensified education, youth-focused interventions, and early testing are now critical as HIV and other sexually transmitted infections continue to creep into younger segments of Iloilo City’s population./PN
