Young Filipinos remain vulnerable to HIV infection because of limited knowledge about the virus and inadequate access to prevention tools, prompting a health expert to call for stronger, age-appropriate education and wider access to protective services.
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 prevention efforts must reach young people before they become sexually active.
Speaking during a media briefing in Quezon City on Monday, Oct. 26, Ditangco said the Philippines’ HIV situation is classified as an epidemic based on the rate of increase in infections relative to the baseline, rather than the country’s 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,” she said.
As of March 2026, an estimated 288,000 people were living with HIV in the Philippines, but only 55% knew their status, according to data she presented.
Of the 157,350 people diagnosed with HIV, 108,367, or 69%, were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Among those undergoing treatment, 61,413, or 57%, had received viral load testing. Of these, 59,540, or 97%, had achieved viral suppression, meaning the amount of HIV in their blood had been reduced to very low levels.
Ditangco warned that young people aged 15 to 24 could account for the majority of new infections by 2030 if prevention gaps persist.
“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 presented during the briefing showed that only 17% of young people in the general population had comprehensive knowledge of HIV.
The proportion was higher among men who have sex with men and transgender women, at 35%, and people who inject drugs, at 42%. Among female sex workers, only about 11% had comprehensive HIV knowledge.
Access to condoms was another concern, particularly among younger men who have sex with men and transgender women.
Among those aged 15 to 17, 63% had neither bought nor received condoms. Among those aged 18 to 24, the figure was 39%, while another 33% in the older group received condoms only from friends.
Data comparing 2013 and 2015 also showed that condom use among men who have sex with men increased from 34% to 40%, while use among people who inject drugs declined from 22% to 19%.
To address these gaps, Ditangco called for age-appropriate sexuality education, broader access to condoms and wider availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), medication taken to prevent HIV infection.
She also urged schools, employers, local governments and community organizations to take part in prevention efforts, stressing that the responsibility should not fall solely on the Department of Health.
These sectors can help provide education, life skills and accessible prevention services while addressing the emotional, psychological and social factors that influence behavior, she said.
Ditangco likewise called for voluntary and confidential HIV testing to become more widely accepted, with counseling and referrals to appropriate prevention or treatment services based on the results.
She said mental health assessment and support should also be integrated into HIV prevention and treatment programs.
In addition, Ditangco urged universal HIV testing for pregnant women to enable early diagnosis and prompt treatment, helping prevent transmission of the virus to their babies.
She said an effective response requires a combination of education, testing, prevention tools, treatment and support services across different sectors.
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