HIV: A Counselor’s Perspective

I was never a counselor before.  Never in my life have I imagined myself in front of a client advocating behavior change and HIV prevention.  I’m a nurse and I know that health promotion is vital in promoting wellness, but the challenge is never the same as sitting face-to-face with a person discussing sensitive matters and telling their stories.

HIV-related issues are often difficult to take up: sex, sexuality, gender, discrimination, and stigma. With the increasing incidence still largely disregarded, the struggle for awareness and prevention has never been this tough. Cases are shooting up as social media becomes an easy access for sex partners that could lead to risky sexual practices. People fear screening. Government and civil society organizations have scaled up their battles, but at the end of the day, it’s still about numbers that matter. The Philippines is now reporting 12 new cases a day, but any reduction, even in deaths, is nowhere in the data.

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