Advocates Push PrEP for HIV Prevention in Iloilo

By Kobe Patrick M. Serinas

In efforts to reduce HIV cases, Ilonggo advocates and medical practitioners are intensifying education and awareness on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a drug that prevents HIV transmission.

Iloilo City and Iloilo province currently report the highest number of HIV cases in Western Visayas. In response, health advocates are amplifying calls for PrEP education to curb the alarming trend.

PrEP works by creating a protective barrier within CD4 cells, which HIV uses to replicate. By blocking this process, the drug prevents the virus from making copies of itself, thus stopping transmission.

Funded by a global initiative, PrEP has been available in the Philippines since 2019. However, it only began rolling out in Iloilo a few years later. Despite efforts by health organizations, HIV cases in the province and city of Iloilo continue to rise.

Dr. Jasper Ruby Vijar, a PrEP advocate and sexual health physician in Iloilo City, emphasized the importance of preventing HIV, especially among youth aged 15 to 24, who represent the majority of new cases.

“The Filipino youth’s sexual debut is at age 16, while the average condom use is at age 17, imagine what could happen in that one-year gap of having unprotected sex, these practices of Filipinos makes us at high risk of HIV,” Dr. Vijar said.

Both the World Health Organization and the Philippine Department of Health have endorsed PrEP as a key tool for HIV prevention.

Data from the Department of Health Region VI reveals that, as of June 2024, only 255 individuals in Region VI are enrolled in PrEP. Advocates acknowledge that popularizing PrEP remains a challenge due to limited awareness among the general public.

“Advertising is important, but getting people to avail themselves of PrEP is another challenge,” Dr. Vijar said. “We need to elevate efforts to inform people that PrEP is just as essential as condoms in HIV prevention.”

PrEP, which works like a vaccine, is recommended for individuals at high risk of HIV, such as sex workers and men who have unprotected sex with men (MSM). It is only effective for those who are HIV-negative.

Advocates and sexual health facilities in Iloilo are leveraging public events to promote PrEP. At a recent outreach event at Cubix Park, one facility enrolled 25 individuals into the program.

Despite these successes, PrEP is still largely unknown in Iloilo’s rural areas due to limited promotion and availability in local health units. The Department of Health said community distribution is still in its pilot stage.

Dr. Vijar emphasized that destigmatizing HIV and sexuality is crucial to mainstreaming PrEP.

“It’s not enough to promote PrEP. We need to break the stigma surrounding HIV and sex,” Dr. Vijar said. “Taking PrEP doesn’t mean you’re promiscuous. It’s about protecting yourself.”

Some PrEP users in Iloilo initially faced stigma but later embraced the preventive measure after learning about its benefits.

“I was sexually active with multiple sexual partners so I started getting my PrEP from KnowTell sexual health clinic from Robinsons Main. [At first I was hesitant], thorough research and finding out its purpose made me enroll in the PrEP rollout here in Iloilo,” one female PrEP user said.

Despite PrEP’s availability, Iloilo recorded 150 new HIV cases and four deaths from January to August 2024.

Amid the surge of HIV cases in the 2020s, Dr. Vijar emphasized that the availability of PrEP is not to blame, as HIV is fundamentally a behavioral issue. He underscored the need for comprehensive education, particularly in the country—or at the very least, in the province.

“HIV is a behavioral issue, and addressing it requires behavioral change, which doesn’t happen overnight,” Dr. Vijar explained. “Despite the availability of preventive measures, they haven’t been fully effective because sexual education needs to be prioritized.”

PrEP users in Iloilo have echoed similar sentiments, with one user noting that “the Philippines lacks sex education, which limits the knowledge of young and curious Filipino adults about sex.”

To address this gap, Dr. Vijar has been actively promoting PrEP and HIV awareness by reaching far-flung communities in Iloilo.

“Advertising PrEP needs to be tailored for specific populations—different approaches for the general public, youth, and others,” Dr. Vijar explained. “When I visit remote areas, I ensure the sessions are engaging and easy to understand for young adults.”

Advocates and medical practitioners emphasize that PrEP is free and available to anyone at substantial risk of acquiring HIV due to their sexual behavior, regardless of identity.

Organizations like the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines – Iloilo Chapter and Team Dugong Bughaw, Inc. have been instrumental in raising awareness about HIV and promoting PrEP among young key populations in Iloilo as part of efforts to flatten the HIV curve in Region 6.

While PrEP is an effective preventive tool, HIV remains a systemic issue requiring broader solutions. Advocates stress that PrEP is only part of the answer. Strengthening sexual health education and government collaboration with advocacy groups is essential to curb HIV cases, not just in Iloilo but throughout the Philippines.