 Republic Act 8504: The Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998
WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW?
• People living with HIV cannot be denied access to employment and livelihood, admission in schools, travel & habitation, appointive office, credit and insurance, health care and decent burial services.
• There should be no workplace discrimination on the basis of actual, perceived or suspected HIV status.
• HIV testing requires written informed consent. There should be no obligation to be tested for HIV or to disclose your HIV status for purposes of hiring, promotion or assignment.
• Your medical records should be treated as confidential.
WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?
• Know your HIV status.
• Keep yourself informed about HIV and AIDS.
• Protect yourself and others against HIV.
• While disclosure of HIV status is voluntary, confidentiality is waived in situations when the risk of HIV transmission is very high, e.g., in medical procedures.
• Support colleagues who are HIV-positive. Avoid stigmatizing or discriminating people living with HIV.
Why is the Police service especially vulnerable to HIV?
The police are vulnerable to HIV for several reasons:
• They comprise the age group (early twenties to middle forties) at the greatest risk of infection;
• They are in constant exposure to police operations involving prostitution, drugs and violent crimes;
• High incidence of accidents among members of the police force which may require blood transfusion;
• They are usually transferred to different places from time to time and are, therefore, away from their families for long periods of time (and may be lonely);
• Many of them are ready to take risks; and,
• They have high probability of engaging in casual sex without the use of condom.
How can police personnel avoid HIV infection?
• Know more about HIV and AIDS.
• Modify risky behavior.
• Seek early medical attention.
• Avail of counseling services.
• Always follow precautionary measures.
• Develop AIDS sensitive policies within the organization.
For more information
Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC)
Tel No. : (02) 743-0512 / 743-8301 loc. 2551 or 2552
Email : pnac_sec@yahoo.com
Website : http://www.pnac.org.ph
Philippine National Police (PNP)
PNP Health Service
Preventive Medicine Section
Tel No. : 723-0401 Loc 3627
PNP-General Hospital
Tel No. : 723-0401 Loc. 3366
Situation
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) destroys the
body’s ability to fight infection and disease, leading
to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). |
The country has an expanding HIV problem. The 2009 statistics of the National Epidemiology Center show that there are two (2) new cases of HIV per day as compared to one (1) case each day 2007.
Hence, there is a need for collaboration among all government agencies to address this problem.
The PNP leadership acknowledges the alarming trend in the increase of HIV cases. It is for this reason that it is taking a decisive move to contain the spread of HIV among its personnel.
The necessity to provide standardized basic information and instruction on HIV and AIDS to our personnel and their dependents is stressed in Article 1 of Republic Act 8504 otherwise known as The Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998, which states that “all government and private employees, workers, managers and supervisors including members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, shall be provided with standardized basic information and instruction on HIV/AIDS, and that Armed Forces Chief of Staff and the Director General of the PNP shall oversee the implementation of this section.”
Basic Facts about HIV and AIDS
Transmission. HIV can be found in body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk. It is transmitted through unprotected sex with infected person, re-using or sharing contaminated needles or syringes, transfusion of infected blood or blood by-products, contact of infected blood on open wounds, and from infected mother to infant during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
Symptoms. Most people with HIV do not know that they are infected because no symptoms appear even for years. Some people experience fever, rash, joint pains and enlarged lymph nodes. This is the time the body develops HIV antibodies, which is usually between 6 weeks and 3 months after exposure to HIV.
Majority of people infected with HIV, if not treated, develop signs of AIDS within 8-10 years. With a healthy lifestyle, the time between HIV infection and becoming ill with AIDS can be 10–15 years, sometimes longer. Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment can slow down the progression of AIDS by decreasing viral load in an infected body.
Treatment, care and support. These consist of different elements, including voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), support for the prevention of HIV transmission to others, follow-up counseling, advice on food and nutrition and management of nutritional effects, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections, and the provision of ARV drugs.
Prevention
Prevention of sexual transmission:
• Abstinence
• Mutually monogamous relations between uninfected partners
• Safer sexual practices, particularly consistent and correct condom use
Prevention of blood-related transmission:
• Always use new needles and syringes that are disposable or properly sterilized before re-use.
• Ensure that blood and blood products are tested for HIV, and that blood safety standards are implemented.
• Practice precautionary measures (especially medical and laboratory personnel) in handling body fluids.
• Mandatory use of protective gears, especially in SOCO operations.
• Cover any cuts or wounds on your hands or arms with bandage to prevent contact with blood.
• Wash yourself with soap and water before and after attending to an injured person. If the injured person is not breathing, clear the airways and perform mouth to mouth resuscitation. Rinse mouth immediately after several times, if possible with antiseptic mouth wash.
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission:
• ARV treatment during pregnancy
• Childbirth by caesarian section
• Avoid breastfeeding
Testing and Counseling for HIV
You cannot tell if someone has HIV or AIDS by just looking. A person living with HIV may look and feel healthy and may not even know he or she is infected. A blood test (screening followed by a confirmatory test) is the only way a person can find out one’s HIV status.
If you think you have been infected, you should seek HIV counseling and testing.
Counseling and testing are voluntary and confidential procedures involving:
• education or counseling before the test to help you understand what it involves, the risks you face, and the benefits of knowing your HIV status;
• a blood or saliva test to assess whether you are infected with HIV;
• counseling when you receive the confirmed test result, support and, if necessary, referral to a medical facility.
You have a right to know your HIV status:
• to reduce your risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV; and,
• to enable you to plan better for the future.
REMEMBER:
Early detection makes it possible for you
to have access to AIDS care, treatment and support.
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2010 Rapid Assessment of Vulnerability
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