HIV surge in the Philippines: A wake-up call for Jamaica

“I feel fine.”

Those three words can offer reassurance. But when it comes to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, feeling fine tells you very little about your status.

You can look healthy, feel energetic and have no obvious symptoms while carrying an infection that needs treatment. That is why the growing HIV epidemic in the Philippines should get our attention here in Jamaica.

According to UNAIDS, new HIV infections in the Philippines increased sixfold between 2010 and 2024. In 2024, an estimated three to four people acquired HIV every hour, with young people ages 15–24 accounting for almost half of new infections.

These figures raise a question that matters just as much in Kingston as it does in Manila: How many people are going about their daily lives without knowing their HIV status?

Jamaica has reason to pay attention

HIV has been part of Jamaica’s public health reality for decades, and the Corporate Area has carried a significant burden.

The Ministry of Health’s 2017 epidemiological profile recorded a new HIV/AIDS case rate of 73 per 100,000 people in Kingston and St Andrew, compared with 43.9 nationally. These historical figures do not establish a new spike, but they demonstrate why HIV prevention and testing have long mattered in the capital.

A subsequent national bulletin recorded 141 newly diagnosed HIV cases reported to the surveillance unit during January to March 2023. Each diagnosis represents someone who needed answers, support and access to care.

We do not need to wait for another alarming headline before taking our own sexual health seriously.

No symptom does not mean no infection

Many people associate STIs with discharge, burning, sores or an obvious rash. Those symptoms can occur, but infections can also be present without any of them.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea, for example, can go unnoticed while causing complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Some STIs also increase the risk of acquiring HIV. (World Health Organization)

Waiting until something hurts is therefore an unreliable approach.

The same applies to judging a partner’s status by appearance. Looking well cannot tell you whether someone has HIV. Testing can.

Make screening part of your health routine

We make appointments to check our blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. Sexual health deserves a place on that list.

At MDLink Diagnostic Laboratory, we encourage Jamaicans to use an annual sexual health review as an opportunity to discuss HIV and other STI screening.

The tests you need – and how often you need them – depend on your age, sexual history, symptoms and exposure. Annual testing is appropriate for many people with ongoing risk, while some benefit from testing every three to six months. A new exposure, symptoms or a partner’s diagnosis should prompt medical advice sooner.

The annual reminder is useful. The testing plan should still be personal.

Know what “full screening” includes

When booking a full STI screen, ask which infections are being tested for.

There is no single test that checks for every STI. HIV requires a specific HIV test; a urine panel for other infections should not be assumed to include it. Depending on your circumstances, screening may involve blood, urine or swab samples.

Timing matters as well. Testing too soon after exposure can miss HIV during its window period, so a doctor may recommend repeat testing. A negative result must be interpreted alongside the type of test and the date of exposure.

A diagnosis opens the door to care

HIV treatment has transformed what it means to live with the virus. People who receive effective treatment can live long, healthy lives. Those who maintain an undetectable viral load on treatment do not transmit HIV through sex—known as Undetectable = Untransmittable, or U=U. World Health Organization

That is a powerful reason to get tested and stay connected to care.

If you believe you were exposed to HIV within the past 72 hours, seek urgent medical assessment for post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP. Every hour matters; an annual screening appointment can wait, but that assessment should not.

The Philippines’ experience should encourage us to ask better questions, speak more openly, and make testing easier to access.

Book your Annual Full STI Screening with MDLink Diagnostic Laboratory and discuss the appropriate tests for your needs. Visit theMDLink.com or our main laboratory at 12B Premier Plaza, Kingston.

Feeling well is welcome. Knowing your status gives you something more useful: information you can act on.

Dr Ché Bowen is a medical doctor, digital health entrepreneur, and CEO MDLink (Diagnostic Laboratory/Digital Health). Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com