Expert urges stronger HIV prevention programs for Filipino youth

MANILA – Limited knowledge on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and access to condoms are leaving young Filipinos vulnerable to infection, underscoring the need for stronger, age-appropriate prevention programs, a health expert said Monday.

Dr. Rosana Ditangco, chief of the Clinical Research Division of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and president of the AIDS Society of the Philippines, said the country’s human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) situation is classified as an epidemic based on the rate of increase in infections relative to the baseline, not just the total number of cases.

“Even if we compare ourselves with Thailand, which has far more cases, the question is whether we are already experiencing an epidemic. We are comparing it from the baseline,” Ditangco said during a media briefing.

As of March 2026, an estimated 288,000 people were living with HIV in the Philippines, but only 55 percent knew their status, data presented by Ditangco showed.

Of those diagnosed, 108,367, or 69 percent of the 157,350 diagnosed people living with HIV, were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Among those undergoing treatment, 61,413 or 57 percent, had received viral load testing. Of these, 59,540, or 97 percent, had achieved viral suppression, meaning the amount of HIV in their blood had been reduced to very low levels.

Prevention gaps

Ditangco cited estimates that people aged 15 to 24 could account for the majority of new infections by 2030, warning that inadequate knowledge and limited access to prevention tools could worsen the situation.

"I just don't know kung nagbago ito; baka tumaas pa iyan. Makikita niyo that we are estimating that the majority of our infections will be among the young people (I just don’t know if this has changed; it may have even gone up. We are estimating that the majority of our infections will be among young people),” she said.

Data she presented showed that only 17 percent of young people in the general population had comprehensive knowledge of HIV. The figure was 35 percent among men who have sex with men and transgender women, about 11 percent among female sex workers, and 42 percent among people who inject drugs.

Access to condoms was also a concern among younger men who have sex with men and transgender women. Among those aged 15 to 17, 63 percent had neither bought nor received condoms, compared with 39 percent of those aged 18 to 24. Another 33 percent in the older group received condoms only from friends.

Figures comparing 2013 and 2015 showed condom use among men who have sex with men increased from 34 percent to 40 percent, while it declined among people who inject drugs from 22 percent to 19 percent.

Ditangco called for age-appropriate sexuality education before young people become sexually active, alongside wider access to condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), medication taken to prevent HIV infection.

She also urged schools, employers, local governments and community organizations to help address the emotional, psychological and social factors that influence behavior, saying HIV prevention should not rest solely on the Department of Health.

These sectors can help provide education, life skills and accessible prevention services, she said.

Ditangco also called for normalizing voluntary and confidential HIV testing, with counseling and referrals to appropriate prevention or treatment services based on the results.

Mental health assessment and support should likewise be integrated into HIV prevention and treatment programs, she added.

Ditangco called for universal HIV testing among pregnant women to ensure early diagnosis and prompt treatment, helping prevent transmission to their babies.

The measure should form part of a broader, multisectoral response that combines education, testing, prevention tools, treatment and support services.