(MB FILE PHOTO)

The rise in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases among young Filipinos is driven by high-risk sexual behavior, including unprotected sex, online pornography, and dating apps, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said Thursday, June 5.

As of the first quarter of 2025, the health department has recorded an average of 57 new HIV cases per day.

“Tumaas ang risky behavior. So, number one, easy access to pornography online; number two, mga dating apps; number three, hindi gumagamit ng protection, unprotected sex (Risky behavior has increased. First, easy access to online pornography; second, dating apps; third, lack of protection, unprotected sex),” Herbosa said during a media briefing, when asked about the reasons behind the rise in HIV cases.

Such behavior, he noted, makes testing and prevention more difficult, especially among adolescents.

Per Herbosa, the youngest reported HIV case is a 12-year-old child from Palawan who is already sexually active.

The DOH chief also raised concerns about the impact of social stigma on testing uptake.

“Napansin ko, tumataas iyong HIV kasi mataas pa rin ang stigma sa atin (I’ve noticed HIV cases are rising largely because of the stigma),” said Herbosa.

To improve access, he said the DOH has lowered the age of consent for HIV testing to 16. 

However, Herbosa pointed out that treatment still requires parental consent, which remains a barrier for minors who test positive.

“Ang problema, kailangan din namin ng parental consent ng start of treatment, so, that’s another legislation na kailangan namin (The problem is we still need parental consent to begin treatment, so that’s another law we need),” he noted.

According to Herbosa, addressing the rise in youth infections will require not just medical services, but legislative reforms, funding, and public education.

“Kita ninyo na to battle HIV ay kailangan ko ang legislation, kailangan ko ang funding, kailangan ko ng information campaign (You can see that to battle HIV, I need legislation, I need funding, and I need an information campaign),” he said.

Meanwhile, Herbosa emphasized that HIV is no longer a death sentence and can be managed like any chronic condition if diagnosed early and treated consistently.

“Hindi na po death sentence ang HIV sa panahon ngayon… Maintenance lang ang kailangan po, katapat niyan para na lang siyang high blood or diabetes (HIV is no longer a death sentence nowadays… It only requires maintenance, like hypertension or diabetes),” he noted.

The DOH chief said they have already intensified efforts to expand access to free anti-retroviral (ARV) medication and streamline patient services in public hospitals.

Herbosa had earlier urged President Marcos to declare a public health emergency, citing a 500 percent surge in HIV cases in the country.