DOH: 404 Pinoys get HIV due to paid sex

MANILA, Philippines — Over 400 Filipinos have contracted the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV due transactional sex, according to the Department of Health.

Based on the DOH’s HIV and AIDS surveillance report, 404 or 12 percent of the newly diagnosed HIV cases in the first quarter of the year engaged in transactional sex.

Of the number, the DOH reported that 194 people infected with HIV paid for sex, including 192 male and two female.

The DOH said 129 HIV patients, 124 of them are male, accepted money for sex.

Eighty-one HIV cases either paid or accepted money for sex.

Of the figure, 76 are male and five are female.

Up to 14,219 HIV cases due to transactional sex have been recorded by the DOH since December 2012.

Broken down into types of transactional sex, 7,346 paid for sex; 4,634 accepted money for sex, and 2,239 engaged in both.