Philippines

Philippine General Hospital, Manila

HIV Infection appears to remain contained at low levels, with no significant growth even in groups at traditionally high risk of infection in the Philippines. This has generated much discussion and interest among HIV care providers and researchers. Possible explanations include the early response of the country against HIV/AIDS, low partner exchange rate among female sex workers, low proportion of males patronizing commercial sex, high rates of circumcision among males, the archipelagic character of the country, and the low prevalence of injection drug use. Despite the current low prevalence of HIV in the Philippines, this is the optimal time to have directed efforts against the spread of HIV. As we have learned from many of our neighboring countries, the burden of an HIV epidemic is catastrophic to resource poor countries.

Many of our studies in the Philippines are focused on prevention efforts. Collaborations with Philippine General Hospital has produced publications in the International Journal of STD and AIDS and the Journal of Clinical Microbiology on topics such as the influence of the expanding HIV genetic diversity on molecular diagnosis in the Philippines and HIV in plasma and cervicovaginal secretions in Filipino women.