Health Sector Models to Increase access to HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) among Males who have Sex with Males in the Philippines

Urgent action is needed to control the expanding HIV epidemic in the Philippines. After many years of stable, low-level transmission, the number of cases detected has risen an average of 62% in each of the past five years; compounded, this is almost a 10-fold increase in the number of cases detected each year. It is clear which population is being affected: in the first half of 2012, 96% of newly identified cases were males, and 87% of all newly identified cases were males who have sex with males (MSM). As a result, the HIV prevalence in MSM is now ranging from 2-5% and climbing.