RITM/LoveYourself: 5-fold Increase in People Getting Tested for HIV

The Love Yourself Hub, a clinic and events space jointly operated by the community-based organization Love Yourself and the Department of Health’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, posted its first quarter results for 2013, registering a 5-fold increase in the number of people accessing its free HIV testing services, compared to the same quarter last year.

A total of 1,028 individuals came to the Malate-based facility during the period January to March 2013, while during the same period in 2012, there were 171.

Such impressive growth in clientele is consistent with the velocity of increase as observed throughout 2012, with average growth rate of 24% per month.
The partnership between a private non-governmental organization Love Yourself and the government’s Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) was key to this success. “We were both able to leverage our strengths – RITM is one of the country’s centers for HIV-related services, while our group had the marketing savvy to connect the clients to the needed services,” explains Ian Felix Alquiros, Director for Partnerships at Love Yourself. “This is an example of success for a public-private partnership program.”

Another critical driver to this success is the distinctive way with which Love Yourself reaches out to the community in encouraging people to pay attention and act on the spreading HIV epidemic.  Since its inception, Love Yourself has consciously stayed away from using fear-based tactics to elicit attention and behavior change related to HIV prevention. “We believe that we serve the community best by keeping HIV talk away from grim and scare. In all our communication, we highlight the positive side of things. In the midst of the epidemic, we fight fear with love, and we keep on smiling!” says Love Yourself president and founder, Ronivin Pagtakhan, a nurse by profession.

In the first quarter of 2013, Love Yourself launched ‘Project Indulge’ – a marketing campaign that uses imagery of mostly nude men that mainstreams HIV testing, essentially saying that it should be part of one’s regular wellness regimen. ‘Project Indulge’ has been noticed by international groups and media, hailing it as among the world’s most innovative campaigns on HIV prevention.  In May 2013, Love Yourself has released another campaign consistent with its light and bright approach to educating about HIV.

Entitled “Fly Love Yourself: How to Have Sex and Avoid HIV,” the campaign is centered on an instructional video starring Youtube sensation, Sebastian Castro. (SEE THIS: VIDEO: How to Have Sex and Avoid HIV (feat. Sebastian Castro))


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DOH, MSD, Medical Societies Come Together to Prevent Cervical Cancer

The Department of Health (DOH), global pharmaceutical company MSD and medical societies hope to go full circle for this year’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in May, and strike directly at the source of cervical cancer—the human papillomavirus or HPV.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in both men and women which causes cervical cancer. According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer afflicting women worldwide with about 500,000 new cases and 250,000 deaths each year. In the Philippines, an estimated 12 Filipino women die due to cervical cancer each day.

For these reasons, the DOH and MSD, along with medical societies Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS), Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of the Philippines (SGOP) and Philippine Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (PSCPC), continue with their partnership, dubbed as Babae, MahalagaKa!, for the 6th year of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) celebration.

Free cervical cancer screening will be offered to women aged 30-49 years old in 58 DOH-retained hospitals nationwide for the whole month of May. “Screening, either through Pap smear or visual inspection using acetic acid (VIA), should be done on women who are sexually active or had history of sexual contact. This service is being offered for free every May in government hospitals, to help detect cervical cancer in its early stage, while it is still treatable and curable,” said Dr. Rey Delos Reyes, past President of POGS and SGOP, consultant of Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center.

“The good news is that early this year, PhilHealth included the treatment for cervical cancer in the Z Benefit Package program. The benefit package includes cervical cancer chemoradiation with cobalt or primary surgery worth Php120,000 or cervical cancer chemoradiation with linear accelerator for Php175,000 depending on what is needed by the patient,” imparts DOH Secretary Enrique Ona.

Apart from free screenings nationwide, MSD in partnership with DOH will be providing free quadrivalent HPV vaccinations to 9,000 girls aged 13 years old this coming school year. “Our mission is not only to discover and develop medicines and vaccines for unmet medical needs but we would also like to make these accessible to people who can benefit from them. This initiative would help demonstrate how to implement a school-based vaccination program which can serve as a model for a national program,” shares Sanjiv Navangul, President and Managing Director of MSD in the Philippines.

Aside from cervical cancer, the quadrivalent HPV vaccine can also prevent vulvar and vaginal cancer, as well as genital warts. It is important to note that HPV is implicated in various diseases aside from cervical cancer such as cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, penis, head and neck, and genital warts. It is themost common sexually transmitted infection in both men and women. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that HPV is so common that nearly all sexually-active men and women get it at some point in their lives.

“Due to the many risks that HPV poses and the many lives claimed by cervical cancer, the DOH hopes that through the yearly celebration of CCAM, more and more women will be educated and encouraged to undergo screening and vaccination, “says Secretary Ona.


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Cynthia Villar's heartfelt letter of apology sent to Philippine Nurses Association

 "What I was trying to say during the media forum was that nursing students affected by a CHED closure order several years ago deserved concrete and better career and academic options other than just an abrupt closure of the institutions that they were currently enrolled in," she said.

Read her letter below:

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Cynthia Villar issues apology over the issue of belittling the nursing profession

Team PNoy senatorial candidate Cynthia Villar explained that she favored the students who wanted to continue their schooling.

In a senatorial forum on GMA News TV on February 23, economist Solita Monsod asked Villar to explain why, as chairman of the House committee on high education, she opposed the move to close nursing schools that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said did not meet minimum requirements to continue operations. CHED, she said, wanted to close the nursing schools because they didn't have the required tertiary hospitals where the nurses would eventually be trained before they graduate and get their BS Nursing degrees.

“Taos-puso po akong humihingi ng paumanhin sa lahat ng mga nurse at kani-kanilang pamilya na labis na nasaktan sa aking kasagutan sa tanong na ibinato sa akin sa isang programa sa TV,” she posted on her Twitter account @cynthia_villar.

The former Las Piñas City representative said that she understands the sacrifices parents and families of nursing students who work hard to support their children's education.

"I recognize also the huge contribution of nurses based locally and abroad as they work hard to support their families," she tweeted in Filipino.

In asking for apology, the wife of Senator Manny Villar said that she has no intention of belittling the nursing profession.


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DOH warns Filipinos about 'Soup #7'

 The Department of Health (DOH) has warned the public on "soup number 7" from China for it contains stem cell which is taken from aborted fetus.

The warning came after reports said the "soup" is already in the Philippines, and is being sold illegally.

The stem cell from aborted fetus is said to be an aphrodisiac, which, when absorbed by the body, increases one's libido, or sex drive.

"Soup number 7" is contained in a tablet-like medicine which is mixed with hot water to become a soup. Aside from it being a contraband, it is also fake and ineffective.

Phi­lippine Medical Association (PMA) Vice President Dr. Leo Olarte advised the public not to be deceived with these products, instead seek for licensed doctors for medication.

Before "soup number 7," there was "soup number 5" which some consumers swear by as an effective aphrodisiac. Its key ingredient is bull testicle.

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