HIV testing for minors gets DOH backing

By Mayen Jaymalin, The Philippine Star


MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday gave its full backing for a proposed measure allowing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing for minors – even without parental consent.
Jose Gerard Belimac, DOH National HIV and sexually transmitted diseases prevention program manager, said there is a need to enhance HIV-related services considering the rising number of minors getting infected with the potentially deadly virus.
“We support any measure that will remove barriers to access to health services,” Belimac said as he expressed approval of the proposed measure of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, which would allow HIV testing to those aged 15 to 17, even without their parents’ consent.
Santiago earlier announced plans to file a bill that would give minors access to HIV-related services.
Under the proposal, a minor who lives independently, is pregnant, is already a parent or has suffered a miscarriage, has no contact with parents or guardians, has clinical conditions that suggests HIV infection, or is part of the key populations as determined by the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) will no longer be required to obtain parental consent to receive HIV services.
Santiago’s proposal, Belimac said, is timely since HIV patients in the country are getting younger.
“The youth should now really be protected from HIV,” Belimac stressed.
DOH data showed that from January to April this year, people aged 15 to 24 accounted for a high 27 percent or 650 of the 2,409 new recorded HIV cases.

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