‘Teach graders dangers of HIV, AIDS’
Sexually transmitted infections such as the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, must be taught to younger age groups, the Action for Health Initiatives Inc. (ACHIEVE) said Wednesday.
Citing the latest data on the number of HIV cases in the country, ACHIEVE executive director Mara Quesada said HIV and AIDS awareness should have been introduced to the students at the earlier grade levels.
“The data show that a Grade 8 student is already 14 years old. Based on the data, people getting infected with HIV are becoming younger because their sexual debut is also much earlier. Hence, it is late for Grade 8 students,” Quesada said during the launch of “Empowered Stories,” a media guide on HIV reporting.
In the draft K-10 curriculum released by the Department of Education in April, the agency intends to teach Grade 8 students about sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV and AIDS.
For Quesada, informing younger learners about HIV and AIDS would help curb infections. “In fact, if you want to improve the curriculum, it should be taught at a younger age,” she added.
Based on the Department of Health’s HIV/AIDS Registry of the Philippines report, the Philippines recorded a total of 116,505 cases of confirmed HIV infections from January 1984 to May 2023.
From January 2023 to May 2023 alone, a total of 7,315 cases of confirmed HIV infections were reported, of which 7,162 cases were acquired through sexual contact.
Last May, the HARP reported a total of 1,256 confirmed HIV cases, of which 573 were 25 to 34 years old at the time of diagnosis, 396 were 15 to 24 years old, and 238 were 35 to 49 years old.
Age appropriate
Anastacio Marasigan, president of the TLF SHARE Collective Inc., cited the benefits of teaching young learners about sex education.
“At an early age, when we start teaching our children about sexuality, they will be able to grow up with a very positive attitude. At the same time, they would be able to understand themselves better,” Marasigan said.
“So, while they are growing up, they will appreciate themselves more. They will also understand themselves, their body, and their sexuality. They will be more knowledgeable about how to protect themselves from possible abuses, and it will help them make proper decisions which they think are appropriate,” he added.