SHIP

Background: In June 2025, DOH reported a 500% rise in new HIV cases and called for a national public health emergency. The news coverage sparked considerable engagement on Facebook, where Filipinos are among the world’s most active users. Clinical research and surveys have documented HIV-related stigma, but the general public’s sentiments regarding HIV news online is less characterized. Facebook comment sections on news articles capture reactions and narratives that formal instruments may miss. They reach audiences far beyond those targeted by health campaigns, making them spaces where misconceptions can circulate unchecked. This study aimed to describe the public sentiment and narratives on HIV in high engagement Facebook posts, what harmful narratives they shared, and what questions they raised, in order to support communicators on what gaps they can address.

Methods: We analyzed public comments on HIV-related Facebook posts by major Philippine news outlets and the Department of Health (DOH). The sample covered 11 posts from June 2–28, 2025, when DOH released new HIV case data and called for a national public health emergency. Seven posts from August to December 2025 served as a comparison. We extracted up to 30 top “Most-relevant” comments per post, sorted for a total of 501 comments. Two coders applied a codebook adapted from HIV stigma frameworks. The codebook covered content type, misinformation type, stigma target, and sentiment. Moral judgments were further sub-coded by the reason for blame: sexual identity, sexual conduct, religion or sin, social decay, or recklessness. Quotes are paraphrased composites, and no commenter identifiers are reported.

Results: June comments clustered around three narratives. First, many comments blamed LGBTQ+ people and sexual immorality for the rise in cases. Nearly half of June comments were stigmatizing or hostile, and LGBTQ+ people were the most frequent target (51%). Sexual identity was the leading reason for blame in June (42% of moral judgments), while from August to December, blame shifted toward sexual conduct (55%), such as infidelity, casual sex and paid sex. In this sample, supportive and corrective comments were outnumbered about 3 to 1. Second, COVID and vaccine conspiracies spilled over into HIV discussions, as they mocked vaccines and health institutions with coined terms (“bakulam,” “World Hell Organization”), with some spelled to evade moderation. Finally, commenters questioned both the motives behind health services and how to access them. They asked why the government funds PrEP and free treatment, and what the health emergency sought to achieve. They also asked where to test for free, whether medicines are free, and how to get PrEP.

Conclusions: News of rising cases gave old stories new life: the blame on LGBTQ+ people and COVID-era distrust on health systems. The questions and concerns are answerable. Newsrooms and DOH pages can respond by reporting numbers with context and people, prebunking COVID and vaccine-related claims, and emphasizing resources and explainers.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, social listening, content analysis, stigma, Philippines

Background: As HIV remains a critical public health challenge in the Philippines, expanding access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is one of the major pillars of the national HIV program. However, successful PrEP implementation depends not only on public awareness campaigns but also on the readiness of healthcare providers to recommend, prescribe, and discuss PrEP. Medical students, as future frontline clinicians, represent a key group whose preparedness to deliver PrEP-related care has received limited attention. This study assessed the awareness, knowledge, and perceived confidence regarding HIV PrEP among third-year medical students at a local medical school.

Methods: We conducted a cross sectional survey and pre-test among third-year medical students (n=121). The survey evaluated PrEP awareness, knowledge of indications and proper use, perceived local availability and access points, and self-rated confidence in counseling patients about PrEP use and access. Responses were summarized using descriptive statistics.

Results: Although most of the students (76.4%) reported prior awareness of PrEP and its role in HIV prevention, 91.1% were unable to correctly identify how to properly use PrEP, and 78% were unaware of local PrEP cost and access points. Self-rated confidence in advising patients on PrEP use was low, with 87% of students reporting they would not feel prepared to discuss PrEP in a clinical encounter. There seems to be a disconnect between general awareness and the practical knowledge and communication skills necessary for clinical implementation.

Conclusions: Third-year medical students demonstrated moderate awareness of PrEP prior to a formal medical lecture, but exhibited significant gaps in applied knowledge and clinical confidence. Integrating structured PrEP education, clinical case discussions, and counseling training into undergraduate medical curricula may strengthen future provider readiness and support national HIV prevention goals in the Philippines.

Keywords: HIV, pre-exposure prophylaxis, medical education, Philippines, future prescribers

SHIP is proud to share SAIL Clinic Calamba’s oral presentation at #PNCA2026, delivered by Carlo Reyes, RND. The SAIL group of clinics developed its own structured three-session enhanced adherence counseling (EAC) protocol as a quality improvement project. The protocol is anchored on the BECS framework, which classifies factors affecting adherence as Behavioral, Emotional, Cognitive, or Socioeconomic.

We reviewed multidisciplinary case discussions among clients with unsuppressed viral load and found that adherence barriers go well beyond treatment literacy. Even though clients understood the importance of taking ART properly, they still struggled with clinic visits and competing life priorities, anxiety, depression, family stress, relocation, transportation, unstable income, and work conflicts. Some even resorted to survival-driven actions such as rationing their pills until their next refill.

These findings show that adherence support must move beyond treatment education toward individualized goal-setting, multidisciplinary case management (with medical, social work, mental health, and advocacy support), and sustained longitudinal care. Ongoing studies will assess viral re-suppression and guide scale-up across #SAILClinics.

Better adherence requires more than reminding people to take their medicine. Better adherence requires understanding the circumstances that stand in their way.

SHIP and the #SAILClinics are also at the Asia-Pacific Chemsex Symposium 2026 #APCS2026 this 28-29th October in Taiwan! 🚢⛵️

With our poster presentations:

• “PrEP initiation among MSM and transgender and gender-diverse clients reporting sex under influence of drugs and transactional sex in community-based clinics in the Philippines” (Poster #11) by Dr. Patrick Eustaquio, Aremm Castrillo, Gerry Obibe, Leo Pura, Rodenie Arnaiz Olete, Dr. Kate Leyritana

• “Engaging Clients with Drug-Related HIV Vulnerability through Digital HIV Prevention: Predictors of PrEP Choice in the Philippines” (Poster #15) by Dr. Rodenie Arnaiz Olete, Aremm Castrillo, Genaro Martin Anigan, Dr. Kate Leyritana

• “Taking HIV Prevention into Private Sexual Networks: Lessons from Peer-Led Outreach across Community and Social Settings in the Philippines” (Poster #16) by Rodenie Arnaiz Olete, Aremm Castrillo, Barbie Bardon, Dr. Kate Leyritana

Congratulations and much thanks to the efforts of our SHIP and SAIL crew. #TogetherWeSAIL at APCS 2026!

SHIP and the #SAILClinics are at the Philippine National Convention on AIDS (PNCA) 2026 this October 27–29, 2026! 🚢⛵

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Our SAIL Calamba Client Support Provider, Felipe M. Demafelis III, will be presenting during “Sharing of best practices: Expanding Reach, Closing Gaps: Operationalizing DOH HIV Testing Policy through Differentiated and Community-Led Service Delivery” this October 27.

And our SAIL Strategic Information Associate, Carlo R. Reyes (in behalf of Dr. Patrick Eustaquio), will present during “Best Practices: Linkage retention and re-engagement in care and integrated care (MH)” on October 29.

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Among the PNCA’s poster presentations are our own from the SAIL crew:

• HIV Diagnosis and Care Outcomes Among Clients with Prior PrEP Use in Community-Based Clinics in the Philippines, 2021–2025, by Dr. Patrick C. Eustaquio

• Evaluating HIV Testing Outcomes by Geographical Mobility and Testing History in Key Population-Led Clinics in the Philippines, by Dr. Patrick C. Eustaquio

• From awareness to preparedness: gaps in HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) knowledge and counseling preparedness among third-year medical students in the Philippines, by Dr. Martin Raphael Q. Diones

• “Kasalanan N’yo Kasi ’Yan”: A Content Analysis of Facebook Comments on Philippine HIV-related News, 2025, by Dr. Martin Raphael Q. Diones (co-author)

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Congratulations, greatest thanks, and accolades to our SAIL crew and all PNCA delegates, as we continue to empower our advocates and healthcare workers, further the reach and innovations on HIV knowledge and HIV services across the Philippines.

#TogetherWeSAIL, and see you at #PNCA2026!

#EndingAIDS#HIVPhilippines#PhilippineNationalConventionOnAIDS