Living with HIV in the Philippines

The official blog of The Project Red Ribbon Care Management Foundation, Inc. (TRR).

  • TRR LOVE FUND

    TRR Love Fund is the arm of the foundation which provides medical assistance to the financially challenged PLHIV.

  • Care assistance for HIV Test

    The Care Assistant Program involves assistance to HIV testing and HIV and AIDS Treatment hubs in the Philippines. Our volunteers schedule the client to the clinic or hub, assist with the procedure in the clinic or hub and conduct peer counseling

  • HOTLINE ASSISTANCE

    With the TRR Hotline Numbers, our volunteers answer concerns and inquiries about HIV and AIDS, do counselling, refers clients to nearest HIV Testing facility, HIV and AIDS Treatment Hub and government and NGO organizations for support

  • PEER COUNSELING

    The foundation volunteers conduct one-on-one counseling either on the phone or in person. They also conduct group counseling

  • SUPPORT GROUP TALK

    The support group talk (SGT) is a program that involves giving HIV lectures by guest speakers, discuss topics about HIV, care, treatment and support, discussion issues related to HIV

  • OUTREACH PROGRAM

    The foundation's outreach program is geared towards providing support to our fellow PLHIV's in the HIV and AIDS Treatment Hubs. Volunteers hand out of donations of medicines and special gifts to PLHIV, give inspirational talks by invited guests to a group of PLHIV, bonding over snacks or meal, visit the sick who are confined in the hospital

  • Referral System

    As part of treatment, the foundation's referral program involves our volunteers referring clients to specialized doctors who are HIV friendly. The foundation has it's own list of specialty doctors of low cost for the indigent PLHIV.

  • Online Support Group

    The foundation has a private Online Support Group in facebook. This group of advocates, supporters, counselors, health Workers and PLHIV

  • Home Health

    Aside from client counselling, the foundation volunteers also do family counselling and home visitation for awareness and continuance of care.

  • Health Fitness

    The foundation believes in holistic approach to treatment and care, thus inclusion of these programs: yoga, dance, swimming, jogging and running, boot camp workouts

  • EVENTS

    As part of awareness and education program, the foundation organizes its own national events to coincide with the international AIDS events: World AIDS Day and International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

Saturday, June 29, 2013

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The Love Fund: June 2013 Report



Maram Bartolome of RITM-ARG sent me the other day the list of the beneficiaries of The Love Fund for the month of JUne 2013.

Here is the report:

1. New patients "Jason" and "Benjamin" were assisted for their registration fee.
2. New patient "Jacke" was given assistance for his transportation fare and food.
3. RO9JMP was given assistance for his fees upon confinement to the hospital
4. 6 patients were assisted for their ARV's to be sent through courier to Isabela City, Ozamiz City, Palawan, Albay, Samar and Camarines Sur.

To all the donors of The Love Fund, thank you very much. There are a lot of PLHIV's who need help and support from ALL of us!

If you want to donate and extend your hand to our needing PLHIV's, please click the link below:

THE LOVE FUND





"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-


If you have comments or questions, please click this link:

Contact Pozziepinoy




© Copyright. All Rights Reserved by Pozziepinoy 2012

Credits: 
Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, AIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV/AIDS Manila, HIV/AIDS Philippines



Friday, June 28, 2013

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Email 397: HIV Check Ups!


Hi!

I read your blog regarding the HIV check up at RITM Alabang but I'm still confused. I'm still a student, 22 years old and this will be my first time to have my check up. Is it gonna be free or if not, how much will I spend on the medical exams? Thank you so much! Cheers!

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Email 396: About HIV Transmission and HIV Test


hi pozzie pinoy.

I just want to ask if am still negative .I have 
my post exposure last year january 2012 I have anal sex with my friend (am the bottom) without  protection and last january 2013 I have oral sex without also protection ..I just had my hiv test last march 2013 and it came out negative..should I need to retest again? and also I want to ask if oral sex is too risky and mutual masturbation?

XXX

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Email 395: Sharing Toothbrush


Dear Pozzie,

You've guided me well in my journey as an HIV positive individual. Thank you very much for your very enlightening blog and all your efforts to help people like us.

After I started taking my ARVs and significantly hurdled the complexities that go with it, I am confronted with another perplexing situation, this time involving my sister.

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Thank You Dr. J and Friends!!



This afternoon, I met Dr. J again to get all the medicines that he and his friends are donating to RITM-ARG for their HIV patients. I already told Dr. Ditangco about this last week and she is very grateful.

These are the medicines that they have given:

1. Cotrimoxazole: 12 boxes



 2. Azithromycin: 9 boxes

3. Isoniazid: 2 boxes

Once again, thank you Dr. J and your friends for helping our fellow PLHIV's. You being a doctor, are tapping all your friends and connections just to provide my fellow PLHIV's with medicines. We will all be forever grateful. I will be forever grateful!

 To all my readers, if you want to donate medicines, please contact me at 0916-286-2066. These medicines are the most needed as prophylaxis when the CD4 counts of PLHIv's go below 250.




"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-


If you have comments or questions, please click this link:

Contact Pozziepinoy

© Copyright. All Rights Reserved by Pozziepinoy 2012

Credits: 
Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, AIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV/AIDS Manila, HIV/AIDS Philippines



Thursday, June 27, 2013

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Email 394: PLHIV Coming Back Home!


Hello Pozzie,

I was diagnosed full blown 2009 , here in the USA , Im TNT and living under the city welfare. my Medical is being paid also by the city of New York ... Im planning to go back to Philippines .. My question  is the medication and check up are free also over there .??

Please let me know if I could continue my medication if  im coming home ..

Thank you in advance ..


POZZIEPINOY'S RESPONSE

Hi.

Thank you for your email.

I am glad that you are doing good and getting free treatment in the US. Now, since you are planning to come home to the Philippines, let me tell you that there is free consultation and free ARV's in all the HIV/AIDS Treatment hubs here in the country. However you need to take these simple steps in order for you to avail of these services.

1. Since you were diagnosed in the US, you need to retake the HIV test here in Philippines. This is a requirement in all the hubs here.
2. Make sure to get all your medical records in the US and present them to the hub doctors here. Also ask for a prescription of your current medicines from your doctor in the US and present it once you're here.
3. When you are here, make sure to enroll in PhilHealth insurance and be an individual contributor. The hubs will ask for these documents later on.

I forgot to mention that in most hubs, the lab tests, CD4 and Viral load tests are not free so make sure to prepare yourself for that. Also, not all ARV's that are prescribed in the US are available here. However, there are counterparts here that will work for you as well.

 I hope I was able to answer your concerns. Feel free to email me again if you have other concerns.

Stay healthy,
Pozziepinoy




"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-


If you have comments or questions, please click this link:

Contact Pozziepinoy



© Copyright. All Rights Reserved by Pozziepinoy 2012

Credits: 
Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, AIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV/AIDS Manila, HIV/AIDS Philippines



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Email 393: Woman Needs Help!


Hello! 

I am 26 years old, a girl. and have diagnosed with hiv last nov. 2012. I was supposed to go abroad thats why i need a medical test. But unfortunately the result turned into a nightmare for me. When the nurse told me the result, i felt like im gonna die tomorrow and i didnt know what to do. So, i had to do the test again on the next day, so i went back to the clinic again, but sad thing its still a positive. So the nurse told me to comeback after 2weeks for confirmatory. But i didnt get the confirmatory result, up to now. The reason is that, i dont know what im going to do and i dont want it to tell my family and friends, never. Please i really need new friends who can understand my condition. Please help me, what shoul I do?  Thanks a lot

POZZIEPINOY'S RESPONSE

Hi.

Thank you for your email. Thank you for sharing your story with me and my readers.

I know it is hard to accept one's HIV status at the start. I know how it feels to be confused and worried. But the fact remains that you have it and avoiding to get your confirmatory delays the treatment process. PLHIV's succumb to AIDS related infections because of either late diagnosis or late treatment. In your case, the delay in getting the confirmatory result may correspond to delay in getting all the lab works, delay in getting your CD4 and or viral load, delay in identifying the presence of any infections.

Since you asked for help, let me then give you the steps that you need to take:

1. Go back to the clinic where you had your HIV test and get the confirmatory result.
2. Once you have it, plan to go to the nearest HIV/AIDS Treatment Hub. You can click the link below:

HIV/AIDS TREATMENT HUB

3. Finish all the labs and blood workout that will be prescribed by the HIV doctor.
4. Process your PhilHealth documents. These will be needed by the hubs.
5. Don't procrastinate anymore. Get treatment fast and follow what the doctor tells you to do.

I know that you are scared of your friends and family to know about your status. It will take time, trust me. However, the love and support of them will eventually give you the strength that you will be needing with your new HIV journey.

I hope I was able to answer your concerns. Feel free to email me again if you have other concerns.

Stay healthy,
Pozziepinoy



"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-


If you have comments or questions, please click this link:

Contact Pozziepinoy



© Copyright. All Rights Reserved by Pozziepinoy 2012

Credits: 
Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, AIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV/AIDS Manila, HIV/AIDS Philippines

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