Monday, February 06, 2006

32 Zambo sex workers positive of STD
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HADER GLANG

AT least 32 sex workers were found positive of sexually transmitted disease (STD) during a surprise raids in various nightclubs of the city, local health officials here said.

Police rounded up 134 female entertainers who were found working without health certificates during a routine inspection last Friday night, Dr. Rodel Agbulos, city health officer, told reporters.

“Thirty-two of them were positive of STD. Those found without health certificates were given time to comply with the requirements while those positive were ordered to submit themselves for treatment,” he said.

The city health office has been tracking down a male and female who are reportedly positive of Human Immuno Virus (HIV). The two were spotted roaming around the city and were said to have arrived here from Sabah, Malaysia recently.

“We called on the public to adopt measures to protect themselves from HIV,” Agbulos said. “Sexually active individuals should always be careful and practice safe sex to prevent from being infected with STD,” the health official said.

Early last year, health officials here confirmed to have registered four cases of AIDS, one of them died at a hospital in Manila. They said the AIDS carriers acquired the disease from neighboring country in the backdoor, like Malaysia.

Everyday, about 14,000 new HIV infections are being reported worldwide. In the Philippines, the first known case was reported in 1984 and has reached to 2,176 registered cases as of October 2004.

Compared to other countries in Asia, the Philippines is described as "low and slow" as far as the infection of HIV-Aids is concerned, according to local health officials. ”This very small as the spread is not rapid here.”


Most of the reported cases of Aids in the country, originated from abroad with Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are its carriers. Based on breakdown, 30 percent of the current total number of Aids cases in the Philippines, were discovered from these workers.” (ZS)

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