Recent reports of a 13-year-old diagnosed with HIV in Palawan have sparked urgent concern, prompting increased screenings over the weekend. Yet public discourse has been clouded with misinformation and misplaced blame. Social media comment sections are replete with condemnations of adolescent promiscuity. People completely miss the fact that most sexual relationships involving minors are with adults – indeed, cases of statutory rape.
The prevalent narratives shift blame onto young people rather than recognize the systemic failures that have allowed teenagers to become victims of grooming, sexual harassment, and violence. However, instead of casting judgment on teenagers, we should instead focus on what our communities can do to protect them. .
This crisis is not new; HIV infection rates have been surging in the Philippines for years, disproportionately affecting younger Filipinos, in general, and young Palaweños, in particular. What is surprising, however, is our collective surprise when news such as this breaks into the mainstream, despite years of constant warnings from health experts and the steady rise in infections. Sadly, HIV remains hidden in plain sight, a silent epidemic sustained by our collective discomfort in talking about sex and abuse—silence upon silence.
Roots of Health has been leading the charge towards educating and protecting young people from HIV since 2018. Alongside the Palawan Provincial Health Office, Puerto Princesa City Health Office, other civil society organizations, and people living with HIV themselves, we have been fighting back against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the following ways:
- Expanding Education on Prevention: In partnership with DepEd Palawan and the Sangguniang Kabataan, we’ve provided comprehensive sexuality education to tens of thousands of young people—teaching them about body autonomy, healthy relationships, consent, sex, and prevention of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV. We have also expanded this work online through our digital campaigns like Keri Together and Usapang K.
- Ensuring Access to Condoms Without Judgment: As we work to normalize condom use among sexually active young people, we also ensure access in youth-friendly spaces where they can opt to discreetly obtain them. Our 200+ condom dispensers are placed in areas frequented by young people and geotagged on a public Google Map. The link is accessible via QR codes on the dispensers and promoted through print and online materials. Unlike in health centers outside Palawan, young people are never required to write their names or addresses in logbooks to access condoms.
- Encouraging Youth-Friendly HIV Screening: Early detection saves lives. We’ve trained community-based screeners and partnered with local groups to ensure testing is accessible and confidential for minors who may be at risk. Our Youth Clinic in Puerto Princesa also offers free HIV screening for young people.
- Making PrEP Available: A crucial HIV prevention tool, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) will be available for free through Roots of Health starting in April 2025.
- Launching a New Treatment Hub: While Palawan’s Red Top Center has been a key resource, the growing number of cases means more accessible care is needed. Roots of Health will soon launch a DOH-accredited Treatment Hub designed to provide stigma-free, confidential care for young people.
The rise in HIV cases is not a moral failing of our youth—it is a failure of the adults responsible for their protection. The solutions are clear: institutionalize comprehensive sexuality education and fund schools and train teachers in rolling it out; make condoms and PrEP more accessible to young people; ensure stigma-free adolescent-friendly testing and treatment.
HIV is still incurable. Silence and stigma are deadly. We can’t let discomfort around sex and HIV stand in the way of truly caring for our children. This is our shared responsibility.
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