Safe sex advocated

May 20, 2019 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY – An international brand of condom, Durex, manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser has touched base with the Summer Capital as part of a nationwide campus education and
information campaign to drumbeat a health advocacy themed “Always Come Prepared.”
Over 1,000 Saint Louis University (SLU) students took part in a one-day HIV–AIDS prevention program and information campaign last month aiming to reach out to the youth to advocate a safe and healthy lifestyle.
Reckitt Benckiser senior brand manager Karol Canlas said the Baguio campaign is the first to be launched in the North of Manila for the annual AIDS day commemoration which ushers a series of campus visits to culminate on the end of the year.
At the SLU campus visit, experts, including Infectious Disease Consultant & Infection Control Practitioner Edrian Geronimo; Counseling Psychologist and Sex Therapist Rica Cruz; SafeSpacesPH and Love Yourself program officer Iosif Cadelina; and SLU National Service Training Program (NSTP) students were briefed on the HIV –AIDS situation in the country, safe sex and how to protect themselves from the growing worldwide disease.
Geronimo stressed the difference of HIV, the virus which causes infection that weakens the immune system and AIDS, the last stage of the HIV infection.
Geronimo said HIV infection could be acquired when having sex without a condom; sharing injecting equipment; contaminated blood transfusions; and from a mother to her baby.
HIV myths were also debunked such as acquiring the infection from kissing, hugging, sharing food, insect bites, toilet seats, bathing, sneezing, coughing and sweat.
Cruz, a counseling Psychologist and Sex Therapist acknowledged statistics which point that one in every three Filipino youth engaged in pre-marital sex before the age of 15 are mostly unprotected.
In her talk ‘Let’s Talk About Sex,” Cruz revealed the Philippines has the highest HIV-AIDS growth rate in the Asia Pacific’. “Most of the sexually active Filipino youth think that they will not contract HIV, more alarming, is that our youth has a low level comprehension and knowledge on HIV and other sexually transmitted disease.”
Cruz reminded the youth to know how to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases.
“We should educate ourselves and be responsible in our relationships. Trusting your partner is not enough, we have to have an open communication with each other,” Cruz said, stressing this as key to the success in relationships as well as health matters.
In 2018, the Philippines had been noted to have the increase of HIV-Aids cases in the world. The Reproductive Health and Wellness Center of the Baguio City Health Department recorded 302 cases in Baguio with 18 deaths since incidences of HIV-Aids hit the country in 1984, with men found to be most susceptible.
The Baguio General Hospital and City Health Department which are the treatment and satellite hubs in the city recorded 28 cases of HIV-Aids in Baguio City, 26 are males and two are females.
These are coming from the 25-34 age groups which is the working class, now the new age group having the most number of HIV-Aids cases in the city and nationwide.
Cadelina closed the day emphasizing the importance of HIV testing. “We create ripples of positive change, one free HIV test at a time, we give HIV testing, counseling and treatment,” Cadelina said.
An on-the-spot HIV testing was done on campus for those willing to have their test results coordinated with the local health office.
Cadelina also said the organization is a community of volunteers aiming to reach out to others to propagate ideas, attitudes, and practices that encourage loving oneself and to prevent the spread
of the epidemic among the youth and key affected populations as well as treatment for People Living with HIV.
Durex, the number one condom brand in the world, has embarked on a nationwide campus tour to advocate a safe and healthy lifestyle among the youth and is eyeing more campuses in the city.
The activity was done in coordination with the Baguio City Health Office and the Department of Health Cordillera.
 
Contributed Article/ABN