18-anyos na binatilyo, nagpositibo sa HIV | Kara Docs
Aired (August 26, 2024): PAALALA: Maging sensitibo sa komento.
Si "Mikael" ay nagsimulang makipagtalik sa iba't ibang lalaki noong siya'y menor de edad pa lamang. Napilitan siyang gawin ito para kumita ng pera at mapagpatuloy ang kanyang pag-aaral. Ang buong kuwento, panoorin sa video.
Si "Mikael" ay nagsimulang makipagtalik sa iba't ibang lalaki noong siya'y menor de edad pa lamang. Napilitan siyang gawin ito para kumita ng pera at mapagpatuloy ang kanyang pag-aaral. Ang buong kuwento, panoorin sa video.
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00:00I met 18-year-old Mikael. He doesn't have a real name.
00:08At first glance, he looks like a typical kid.
00:12But his experiences are heavy.
00:16Mikael is positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV.
00:23When did you know that you are HIV positive?
00:27I was 17 years old.
00:2917? How did you know?
00:32Because at that time, I was sick. I had a fever.
00:37I had a fever for a month.
00:39That's when I decided to get tested.
00:42Because I know that I am active in sexual activities.
00:49Mikael is only a minor when he started dating other men.
00:57But not only did the men call him names,
01:01but they also called him by his name.
01:05They said, I will hire you to have sex with me.
01:11That's where I get my money from.
01:13I get it from my tuitions and exam permits.
01:18How much do you get paid?
01:20It used to range from P1,500 to P2,000.
01:28Mikael's parents left him early.
01:31There were times when financial support was not enough
01:35to provide him with children for his matriculation.
01:40I asked my friends, what is the best job for you?
01:43Considering my age, I am a minor.
01:46No one would hire me for jobs.
01:49So a friend of mine offered me a job.
01:51He said, I have an app.
01:55He introduced me to a hooking app.
01:58That's how I got in.
02:00He said, I will hire you.
02:03Do you use protection?
02:06Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't.
02:09Although I am aware that it can happen.
02:12But at that time, I was thinking,
02:15maybe this disease hasn't spread in our province yet.
02:21I know the risk.
02:23But I am just based on the physical appearance of the person.
02:27If he looks healthy, maybe he doesn't have it.
02:33After he got tested,
02:35in March 2023, the result came out.
02:39He is HIV positive.
02:42I was really shocked.
02:44I didn't know what to say.
02:46Why didn't you tell your family?
02:48Because some of them are homophobic.
02:52They topic HIV in the news.
02:55You, if you get sick like that,
02:58you are gay,
03:00I will fire you.
03:02Or I will stop your studies.
03:05I got that threat.
03:07That's why I am not open to them.
03:09So who knows that you have HIV?
03:12In my family, no one knows.
03:16So I overcome everything alone.
03:19Even the laboratories.
03:23Even my friends, I can't tell them.
03:27But aside from the increasing number of HIV cases in the Philippines,
03:31another factor is that these patients are getting younger and younger.
03:38According to the Department of Health,
03:40the number of HIV-positive minors is also increasing.
03:46Mikael is only 17 years old
03:49when he found out that he is HIV positive.
03:52He also had a hard time getting medicine
03:54because of the limitations for minors
03:57that are included in our law.
04:00I complied a lot.
04:02I went back and forth.
04:03Because at that time, I was still a minor.
04:06According to the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act,
04:10HIV testing is the only thing that can be done
04:13for ages 15 to 17
04:16without the consent of their parents.
04:18It is not clear in the law
04:20the access of minors to other services
04:23that are related to HIV primary care
04:26such as ART, PrEP,
04:29and even the purchase of free condoms.
04:33Based on the data that we have in the Philippines,
04:36as young as 12 to 15 years old,
04:39there is already a sexual debut
04:42or the first sexual engagement.
04:44And then the time that they can access a condom
04:47is only around 18 years old and above.
04:51Because it is still there that
04:52those who can buy a condom are over 18 years old.
04:56If we look at it now,
04:57if the age that can have sex is by age 14, 15,
05:01they can only access a condom by age 18.
05:04This is what we call a condom lag.
05:07So they are active in sex,
05:08but they do not have access to prevention.
05:13HIV awareness advocates also request
05:16that this law be amended
05:18so that minors can be allowed
05:21to use this type of service.
05:25Interventions such as access to condoms should also be followed.
05:30So that's one. That's good.
05:31Providing free condoms.
05:33However, for example,
05:34those who do not want to buy a free condom
05:36want to buy it.
05:37They are limited by that age.
05:39Others want to do PrEP,
05:41even at a young age.
05:43So unfortunately,
05:45since the guidelines are limited to age,
05:48those who are 18 and above
05:50are not allowed to give PrEP
05:53to the young age group.
05:55It is still anchored in the issue or concern
05:58about minors providing consent
06:01that needs either parental consent or assent
06:04coming from a medical provider.
06:07According to the Philippine National AIDS Council,
06:10or PNAC,
06:11they are currently discussing
06:13amending the law on HIV and AIDS.
06:17In our new IRR,
06:19which is still a draft,
06:21hopefully we can address this.
06:23Because what we are saying now in our IRR
06:25is what we need to look at
06:27is where is the child's best interest.
06:31And this is,
06:32if he is diagnosed with HIV,
06:34he should be treated immediately.
06:36This coming September,
06:38we will be having this,
06:39we will have a PNAC plenary meeting
06:42and we will present the first draft.
06:45So if there is still input
06:48or any information
06:49from other government agencies
06:51and other partners,
06:53maybe it will take a little longer.
06:55But our target within this year
06:57is to finish the new IRR.
07:01Aside from the great help
07:02that medicine can provide,
07:04people with HIV also need emotional support.
07:08HIV does not simply have an effect
07:11on the mental health of patients.
07:13Discrimination against people with HIV
07:15is becoming more and more important.
07:19Another thing that can affect
07:20all of our behavior
07:22is of course our personal and cultural biases.
07:26For example,
07:27a person will be shy to get tested
07:29because if they found out
07:30that they are sexually active,
07:32that they are a bad person,
07:33that they have STIs,
07:35or that they are spreading.
07:36There is a stigma.
07:38It is a self-stigma.
07:39Then there is also when we find out
07:42that our neighbor is going to a social hygiene clinic.
07:45Maybe he has STIs.
07:47So we have interpersonal stigmas
07:50that we ourselves throw at other people.
07:52So discrimination also affects
07:55people who look for HIV services,
07:58whether coming from a colleague,
08:00a peer,
08:01or even from a healthcare provider.
08:04For now,
08:05Michael is not ready to admit
08:07to his family and friends
08:09about his experiences.
08:12Who is your support system
08:14in terms of your mental health,
08:16emotionally?
08:17Who are you going to tell?
08:19I really don't have anyone.
08:20But sometimes,
08:21there are strangers on Facebook
08:24but they are anonymous.
08:25I don't really reveal my identity.
08:29Why do you hide it?
08:31Not just from your family,
08:32but from other people?
08:34Because I am sure that
08:35there will be discrimination,
08:37especially that
08:39we all know that not all people
08:41are educated for this kind of illness.
08:44I encourage parents to be open
08:46to discuss these things with their children.
08:49So that the child
08:51would feel safe
08:53to discuss this with the family.
08:55So providing a safe space for people,
08:58regardless of age,
09:00especially children,
09:01will encourage them
09:03to keep the communication open.
09:05And if they are open to us,
09:07we can help them
09:09on how to keep themselves protected.
09:12Not just for HIV,
09:13but even for their own sexual health.
09:35For more UN videos visit www.un.org