Reigning Miss Universe Catriona Gray has encouraged the public to have themselves tested following an alarming increase in the number of HIV-AIDS (humanimmunodeficiency virus-acquired immune deficiency syndrome) cases in the Philippines.
"If you've never been tested before for HIV, I have my first testing experience up on my YouTube channel in partnership with @loveyourself.ph. If I can do it, you can too. Get tested, know your status. Love yourself," said Gray on Instagram.
Gray cited a report from loveyourself.ph that showed an alarming increase in the number of HIV cases in the Philippines for the past 10 years.
"In the last ten years, we've seen the cases of new HIV cases in the Philippines rise exponentially from only 1 a day in 2008 to 32 a day in 2018," the Filipino beauty queen said.
Loveyourself.ph is a community of volunteers in the country that conducts HIV counselling, testing, treatment and life coaching. The HIV-AIDS is one of the advocacies of the Miss Universe Organization.
Gray said: "While the numbers appear alarming, the data shows us that we've been able to reach the affected population and increase the access to testing, which is a key step to stop the rising epidemic."
"To accelerate our vision to eradicate HIV, it starts with educating ourselves and then taking steps to get tested and to continue to take steps to care for ourselves," she said.
The Filipino-Australian beauty queen said that she has been tested for HIV-AIDS and yielded negative results.
"If you've never been tested before for HIV, I have my first testing experience up on my YouTube channel in partnership with @loveyourself.ph," she said.
Gray called on the public to check out the websites of loveyourself.ph and Department of Health for the HIV test sites in Metro Manila and in the provinces.
She also said that the only way to prevent HIV-AIDS is by early detection through testing and early treatment. "Testing in Philippines is free." - ROBERT REQUINTINA
Comments
Post a Comment