In the Philippines, because of the growing strength of social networking, it easy to spread HIV. Communication becomes easily established because of the easy accessibility of the different sexual and or “friendly” sites. The different sex sites don’t directly correlate to the incidence of the spread of HIV. They however, become the channel to which interaction between people become easy. They are, basically just a venue, like a cafe or a restaurant or a library where people can talk, chat and create their own worlds.
So how can these sites "speed" up the spread of HIV? I believe that a lot of Filipinos are very introvert when it comes to sex and sex practices. We really don’t talk it out loud for other people to hear. Most are not that open when it comes to the topic of sex. Is it because of religion or just mainly cultural? There are so many factors that can be attributed to this. But that’s the way it is, well for now. Filipinos are typically shy and timid. It is hard for us to approach and converse with strangers we just met in the bus or on the line to MRT or in a theater. Now technology sets in and the boom of the internet and internet cafes. The free foreign international sites become accessible and become the venue where most filipinos create their own worlds and self imagination without the initial direct face to face meet ups. Now it becomes easier to approach people. It becomes easier to converse and meet.
How does it work? First once once you join a site, you create an enticing name and your stats, then you attach your picture, then you create a detailed account on who you are and what you are looking for. It’s as easy as that. Then you start pinging or people will start pinging you. You chat, talk then meet up either a friendly chat or a sexual hook up. Usually people are direct. People know what they want. Questions like,”top or bottom? do you have a place? what do you do in bed?”, etc. all pop out easily during the conversations. People then end up talking over the people, then later meeting up.
Almost everybody has a cell phone in the Philippines. We are after all, the text capital of the world. With new technology, comes two famous applications on the cellular phones. They are easily accessible as long as there is internet connection available. Just like in the previous sites mentioned, here with just the use of the phone, one can create his own name, and chat with other people, anytime, anywhere without the use of your personal computer. Sexual encounters become so easy by just texting.
Like what has been mentioned, these sites don’t have a direct link with the spread of HIV. However, because of the freedom that these venues allow, people begin to explore, to create their own worlds, sexually without being shy or timid. Most people become more aggressive when it comes to meet ups and hookups. Sexual intercourse can easily be scheduled anytime of the day, anytime of the week by engaging with a stranger. We now have a sexual boom made popular to people of any age and to all walks of life. The freedom is a far outcry from the what Filipinos are used to : their “conservative” cultural upbringing.
So with the knowledge of these sites, what can we do to stop the spread of disease among their members?
1. Be a responsible individual. Know the people you are chatting with. We can’t stop these sites and these venues. What we can do is to know the people who we are having encounters with. Remember, once you sleep with somebody, you get to sleep with all the other people that that person has slept with. Meet personally and talk first. Don’t rush things. In case you resort to sleeping together, make sure there is protection. Remember too that there is hatred in the disease and there are some crazy pozzies who can't accept their condition that they want other people to have the disease too. Always check if the condom is in place. Always double check! There is a disease spreading, so try to limit meeting people just for sexual gratification. There is more to life than just having sex with strangers. If you’re a regular chatter, try to avoid regular chatters who are always online and always looking for sex. Don’t be promiscuous.
2. Use the sites as a venue to communicate to people about HIV. Ask for supporters of HIV prevention. Educate others by giving facts about the incidence of HIV in the country and the treatment hubs. Use the sites to tell pozzie’s stories or give links to blogs of pozzies. Increase people’s awareness to HIV and promote organizations that teach prevention.
3. Within the site, look for promoters for HIV prevention. Ask the administrators to keep on advertising HIV promotional ads and campaigns against HIV especially addressed to Filipinos.
4. Of course, the best way is to abstain from these sites. They are a waste of our time, in my opinion, in the first place. Our focus should be more on building healthy relationships with people that we know and to have a happy and contented life.