Living with HIV in the Philippines

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

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, My Advocacy, News and Breakthroughs, The Red Ribbon

The Activities of The Red Ribbon (TRR) Care Management Program for the month of February:

1. TRR Health & Fitness
a. Bootcamp Workouts (2x a month) -Pasig Area
b. Track Jogging (once a month) - Marikina Area
c. Yoga
i. February 8 and 22 (Saturdays), 2pm, Medical Plaza, San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas
ii. In partnership with Yoga for Life
d. Badminton

2. TRR Support Group Talk (Medical Plaza, February 22)
3. TRR Outreach Program (RITM-ARG)
4. P Club Gathering
5. Valentines Party (Tentative February 15)

For more details Pozziepinoy at 0916-286-2066

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test, News and Breakthroughs, The Love Yourself Platinum

The Love Yourself Platinum HIV Testing

Note: The Red Ribbon Care Management Program is a strong partner of The Love Yourself.

3 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, My Advocacy, PLHIV Stories

My PLHIV Story: There is Life After AIDS!

Hi Pozzie Pinoy,

This e-mail is an account of my three months of experience being a person living with HIV.

EXPERIENCING THE SYMPTOMS

I went through the signs of having HIV without me having an idea that I already had the disease. In 2012, I had mouth sores that were bigger, more painful and taking a lot more time to heal than the usual, about a week. In summer a year ago, I had episodes of having boils at both armpits. They were huge and painful, about the size of a big marble and each lasted more than a week (I counted them seven in succession!). I didn't feel any swollen lymph nodes though so I still didn't have any idea that I have an immunocompromised system.

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, News and Breakthroughs, RITM Satellite Clinic, RITM-ARG

ADVISORY: RITM-ARG and RITM Satellite Clinic Closed on January 31, 2014

ADVISORY

Please be informed that

RITM-ARG

RITM-Satellite Clinic

are

CLOSED

on Friday,

January 31, 2013.

Approved for posting

Dr. Rossana Ditangco

Head, RITM-ARG

"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-

Want to be ASSISTED for the HIV TEST??

Check this link:

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Credits:

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, My Advocacy, PLHIV Stories

Wanda's Angel

This is reality. We are faced with deaths because of HIV & AIDS. We can't turn a blind eye. We need to accept that it is happening in our country and we as a PLHIV community should one, cherish our lives more, two appreciate the services being delivered to us, three, love more and be decent members of society, four, continue inviting people to take the HIV test and five, educate others on early detection and early treatment.

Below is the story of Wanda's love to her brother who recently passed away because of HIV & AIDS. May this story serve an inspiration for others to keep on pursuing our advocacy.

To Wanda and your family, your brother is now our angel. His story here will keep on inspiring me to work more and to do more for our fellow PLHIV's and educate our countrymen about HIV and AIDS.

Your brother's story will be in our hearts forever.

Dear Pozzie,

I just lost my brother last January 16, because of serious complications and HIV stage IV.
He just confessed this to me October last year while he's drastically losing weight.
He was confirmed positive since 2007, shocked at first but it's too late to nag on him and asked why was that and what if's. Immediately I brought him to San Lazaro to get his documents and transferred him to RITM w/c we believe that this Hospital is more relaxing than the view of the patients queuing in OPD.

Since he did not take his ARV's when he found out his problem, we started from the base one. Requested Cd4 count, blood test, xray, sputum, the Doctor then gave us first line of medication w/c included the anti-TB antibacterial medications etc. After he started taking the anti-TB, he began coughing so hard and with phlegm, we waited for 2 weeks to get the results of the sputum test and voila, he already acquired Pulmonary TB. DOTS gave us medication that is a combination of 4 names ( isoniazid, etc.) after 2 weeks again he's HbsAG positive (hepa).

I am so heartbroken seeing my brother chilled every hour, with poor appetite and almost 1 1/2month of fever. We decided to rushed him to the hospital. He stayed for 3 weeks almost, and released Dec 16. He just spent his birthday, Christmas, NewYear and now he's gone. Too young to die, he's just 28 and we are only 2 siblings of our parents. A very sad story. Hope that this stops (virus) immediately. I can't just move on...

Wanda

"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-

Want to be ASSISTED for the HIV TEST??

Check this link:

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

Credits:

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

2 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry

Philippine HIV & AIDS Registry: December 2013 Report

The Philippine HIV & AIDS Registry of the Department of Health - National Epidemiology Center has just released it's December 2013 Report.

Based on the report, there were 358 new cases of HIV. Most of the cases were male (95%), males having sex with males (82%) were the predominant type of sexual transmission. 91% of the cases were still asymptomatic at the time of the reporting.

The bulk of the HIV cases in December 2013 came from NCR, followed by Regions VII and IVA.

From 1984-2013, there were 16,516 cases of HIV in the Philippines, 9% (1,507) were AIDS cases, with 887 deaths.

For more details, please refer to the full report below:

(Source: Philippine HIV & AIDS Registry, DOH NEC, December 2013)

"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-

Want to be ASSISTED for the HIV TEST??

Check this link:

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

Credits:

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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

3 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV

Email 486: About Symptoms, Smoking and Healthy Living

Hi Pozziepinoy.

December 23, 2013-- I felt the syptoms of HIV ---
January 2, 2014--HIV test result I am positive
January 8, 2014 - CD4 counts 400 - councillor advice me to have a healthy living and check my cd4 again on April 1, 2014...he told me that Asian guidelines for taking ARV cd4 below 350.....

My question:
At present why is it that I feel the symptoms of HIV such as a small rashes and neck pain.

How to live a healthy living? If I am going to quit smoking immediately is their any side effects of my health?

Thanks.
XXX

4 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test, RITM Satellite Clinic

Email 485: Conclusiveness at 6 Months

hello pozzie ... thank you for this blog.. this truly help US feel a lot better and somehow feel that WE are not alone ...

Pozzie gusto ko lang sana malaman if accurate na ang result ng HIV test sa RITM satellite within 6 months ? conclusive na ba ito ?

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test

Email 484: HIV Testing for Pre-Employment?

hello po ask ku lng pwede po ba ako dyan mgpatest ng aids...pero wala po ako sakit kelangan lng po for pre employment...

charm

5 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test

Email 483: To Retake the HIV Test or Not

Hi pozziepinoy

I have a question, my ex partner tested positive last September. I was afraid that I might be positive because the last three times that we had sex we didn't used condom. My last sexually encountered with him was around august 23-25. I got tested right away when he tested positive and my result was negative. Then at that time we broke up. I went to get tested again last .December 17 2013 to double check if I am positive or not, and the result is negative. Right now I am still afraid I might be positive because I felt something wrong in my body. I am still terrified that I might be positive. Do you think my last test is valid that I am negative or do I still have chance to get hiv from him?

Sunday, January 26, 2014

6 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, anal warts, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HPV

Email 482: Anal Wart Removal

Hi PP,

Would you know where is the best place where i can have my anal warts removed? I tried the topical cream oxyfend the one i saw being posted/recommended in the web. But it seems it is not working, i found out i'm positive when i discovered warts on my anal area, so i had myself tested, that was 4 months ago and the warts seems to spread and getting bigger. I read some article on your blog of people going to PGH to have it removed, however, would you know a private practitioner and is comfortable dealing with PLHIV, preferably with an acceptable rate.

Thank you very much and as always more power to your blog and advocacy to help PLHIV

Lonely44

7 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, My Advocacy, PLHIV Stories

PLHIV Story: Staying Positive!

Hi Pozzie,

I Just want to share my HIV experience.

I met my partner through online site in May 2011. Something happened during our first meet up, pero syempre that time may condom. After a week may nangyari uli saamin, that time without condom.

For one year na naging kami naging okay naman ang relationship namin, no big issue. He stayed in north and I live in south, about 4 hours travel time. Every week kami nagkikita, pumupunta ako ng north at minsan sya naman ang pumupunta sa south, walang weekend na hindi kami nagkita, except nung Christmas which I believe we have to celebrate it with our families.

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test

Email 481: Having Unprotected Sex

Hi Sir Pozzie.

Im XXX, 17 years-old. Hindi alam ng ibang tao na bi ako. Natatakot po ako ngayon kasi palagay ko I'm at risk of having HIV. Due to curiosity, nakipagsex po ako sa isang lalaki na nakilala ko sa internet. Mukha naman po siyang disente at pormal in fact nag ttrabaho sya sa isang kilalang insurance company. But the sad thing is we did it in unprotected manner. It happened last october and we did it for five times hanggang this December. Yung sintomas lang po na naramdaman ko ay sipon nung una, then parang nagkaroon po ako ng parang rashes sa chest part. Actually parang hndi rashes, parang acne sya kasi very minimal at parang may liquid na sebum nung tinry kong tirisin.

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test

Email 480: To Get Tested or Not?

Hi.

I am 22 years old right now aand I had an MSM encounter last dec 25-26, 2013 and last january 1 2014 to one person I met online. He is allegedly 34 years old whoch can be validated by his looks. This is my first time ever to have sex and it was unprotectes one. Please give some advise because I am so paranoid right now. I am not certainly sure on when to get tested for HIV or whether should I really get one.

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test

Email 479: Do I Still Need to Take the HIV Test?

Hey Pozzie,

Hope you are well.

I have been reading your blog and I should say it's very informative. Thank you for helping your readers.

I'm a 23 year old discreet gay man. Like others, I have had my share of curiosity about sex when I was 18 - 20 years old but eventually I stopped. I remember having an unprotected sex just once around 4 years ago, I was the top. It was the only unprotected sex I had. I have evaluated myself for any symptoms of HIV or AIDS and I don't seem to have any of them no sore throats, long diarrhea episodes, cough, rashes, genital warts and my weight is just the pretty the same. I also feel healthy.

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, Gonorrhea, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV

Email 478: Gonorrhea and HIV

Good day po,

Can you help me about this??

Last Dec 27 2013, I had sex with my friend. He had suck mine. Then we had anal. But before I penetrate, i put a condom and a lube. Then as I noticed na may lumabas na something na dumi or black or brown funny thing from him so I stopped penetrating. And I removed my condom. Then pag check ko sa cr, i noticed some blood sa condom, and I freak out and checked the condom kung may butas by putting water on condom and wala namang sumirit na tubig or else, meaning walang butas. Right?

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, Viral Load Test

Email 477: Successful Treatment

Gusto ko lang sana malaman kung aside from viral load paano mo malalaman na umeepekto ang arv's sayo? I was diagnosed august last year and it was the darkest day of my life.

Natanong ko to kasi i had a cough na hindi gumagaling i was advise ng ng doctor sa hub na mag over the counter meds ako pero hindi pa rin sya tuluyang gumagaling. Nag pa check up din ako sa ibang hospital at clear naman ako sa TB.

Please help. Thanks!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

3 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test, My Advocacy, RITM Satellite Clinic

MY HIV Test Experience: Value Your Life

Hi Pozzie Pinoy.

This is my story.

I am in a discreet monogamous relationship for many years now. We only do foreplay and have never done penetration yet. It's not an issue with me at all.

With the advent of SmartPhones, dating and social sites have also sprung up. I got interested in Grindr and installed it on my phone without my partner knowing it at all. Casual chats then became casual meet-ups which then led to casual sex. It was August of 2013 when I started having casual sex with several men that I met via this application. From August-December 2013, I've had casual sex encounters with 7 different men in total. In all these casual sex encounters, I insisted in using condoms always. They were all protected penetrative sex but we also pleased each other orally, unprotected.

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Care Assistance Program, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test, OFW in the Middle East, The Red Ribbon

Email 476: OFW Wants to Take the HIV Test

Dear pozzie,

hi, im currently working here in middle east, last november2013 ko lang sinimulang basahin ang blogs mo,

last oct.30, 2013 meron akong unprotected sex encounter with an arabic guy, at bottom ang role ko sa encounter namin,

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, ARV, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, Stribild

Email 475: Stribild in the Philippines?

Hi Pozzie,

Let me thank you for providing us an avenue to help and get helped as well through your project.

I am newly diagnosed (11/07/2013) HIV+ and I'm taking right now Stribild. My CD4 is 270 and hopefully it will go up with my medication. Just asking, is Stribild available in the Philippines so I can continue this medication when I go home for good? With my weakening body and ever-increasing demands at work abroad, I am considering to go home and hopefully continue my treatment in the Philippines. If this drug is not available in our country, is there any drug that could be a good substitute available for me? I am so worried about my condition and I know sooner or later my employer would find out my medical status and send me home. Please advise.

Thank you very much

XXX

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test, RITM Satellite Clinic

Email 474: About the HIV Test

Hi pozziepinoy.

First of all thank you for your blog. I can see that it has help a lot of people and now, its helping me also with my hiv anxiety.

Last dec 28 i had a risky encounter wherein i had a brief protected insertive anal sex with a transexual sex worker. The condom was intact and it only lasted about 20 mins (she was good at hiding that he was a tranny during the encounter). However, days before the encounter, i did have some shallow wounds near my genitals which i think was already dry and healed during the encounter.

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test, My Advocacy, The Love Yourself Platinum

My HIV Test Experience

Hello!

First of all, more power to your blog! Been following your blog for a year now since I started educating myself about PLHIV/AIDS during that time when I repeatedly fell victim to recurrent respiratory illnesses and an unusual sense of drowsiness that I suspected I contracted THE dreaded disease from my old lifestyle (bareback with married/partnered men, risky one night stands, commercial sex work) which I vowed never to return to. I really
thought I would be able to leave those darker days behind, unscathed from and without any trace of disease, but my constant sickness since late 2011 made me think more than twice and out of fear prompted me to finally undergo the HIV test after almost two years of being sexually abstinent (due to my AIDS scare) save for some encounters which I believe were low risk (stroking, mutual oral without swallowing).

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, CD4 Test, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, Makati Med HIV/AIDS Treatment Hub, Makati Medical Center, Viral Load Test

Email 473: HIV Questions!

Hey,

Thank you for the blog.

Please forgive me for my questions I might be asking too much.

I got my test last week through makati med and unfortunately this time the results took longer. They did not tell me that its for the confirmation test or western blot but I am taking it as it is. So I am just waiting for them to call me to officially pronounce me as the walking dead. 😄 sorry too much TV. I am not depressed but no matter how much I condition myself I still fear why is coming.

Friday, January 24, 2014

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, News and Breakthroughs

The Power of Anonymity: HIV/AIDS in the Philippines and the Internet

This article by Professor Fernando A. Austria, Jr. was published in Plaridel: A Philippine Journal of Communication. Media and Society, 2013, Vol. 10, Issue No. 2 of the College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines.

Thank you so much.

http://www.plarideljournal.org/

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV

Email 472: Thank You

Hi Pozziepinoy,

The article I wrote on HIV/AIDS in the Philippines and your blog is available online.

The link to the issue of Plaridel Journal, where my article was published is:

click the article entitled: The Power of Anonymity: HIV/Aids in the Philippines and the Internet.

Again, your blog allowed me to write this article. I hope you find it to your liking.

F. Austria

POZZIEPINOY’S RESPONSE

Hi F. Austria.

Thank you so much for this.

Stay healthy,

Pozziepinoy

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, ARV Adherence, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV

Email 471: Missing a Dose!

Hey Pozzie,

Am really bothered coz I missed out on one of my ARVs, so i had to drink all at one go. What will the implications of me missing it? Need your expertise on this.

xYx

6 comments

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV, HIV Test, The Love Yourself, The Love Yourself Platinum

My HIV Test Experience

Hi there Pozziepinoy!

First of all I would like to thank you for maintaining a very informative blog like this. I stumbled upon your blog last December when I started looking for more information regarding HIV/AIDS. You see last November I started getting circular rashes I took for ringworm, starting in my trunk and chest then on my legs and buttocks. I tried Canesten and Salicylic acid for a full month which seemed to work at first but when I stopped using it, just recurred. I then tried Lamisil for 2 weeks but the rashes still kept popping up. I then went to a Dermatologist who prescribed me systemic oral antifungal. After completing the 2-week course, some of the lesions got better but more rashes popped up. All these time I was worried that this could be something else.

PozziepinoyAIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, Emails and QA, HIV in the Philippines, HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, HIV Pinoy. Pinoy HIV

Email 470: Thank You!

Hi there!

I work in health care and I have seen so many patients with HIV, they live a productive life after diagnosis and ARV therapy.

Your site is very informative. It promotes awareness and provides people with vital knowledge to prevent/ reduce and protect themselves from becoming infected with the virus. It also motivates people to seek and get tested sooner and get the treatment they need early on.Hats off to you and for all your efforts.