Dr. Orlando Quintero, executive director of Probidsida, analyzed this Wednesday the report of Aids Healthcare Foundation which revealed that 40% of people with HIV do not know they have it, adding that due to the evolution of HIV infection, it is necessary to get tested every year.
He stressed that 95% of HIV is transmitted through sexual intercourse in our country.
“You had a sexual relationship today, and it is not until 5 or 10 years that AIDS will appear, which is when all the consequences of being infected with HIV are manifested,” he specified.
He reiterated that the treatment is free both in the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and in the Social Security Fund (CSS), and the cycle of evolution from HIV to AIDS would be avoided. “If you diagnose yourself early, you have a whole life ahead of you, you will never reach the AIDS stage.”
Quintero explained that the general population, in general, has a prevalence of 1% here in Panama, the gay population has above 20%, the transgender, who does sex work, is above almost 37%, which is considered very high figures. tall.
“HIV has no face, let’s not fool ourselves. You are not sleeping with the person in front of you, but with all their sexual history,” the doctor said.