Person living with HIV fights stigma and discrimination
“Not being a representative, but we need a person who can stand tall regarding our status to address stigma and discrimination.”
CAGAYAN DE ORO — The year 2016 has been the lowest point of Raffy Ardemil’s life: she got severely debilitated due to health infections and later on found out she had tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
She thought it was the end of everything; there was no hope.
Upon hearing the result uttered by a nurse at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) in Cagayan de Oro where she was confined, the fear inside her prevailed. At that time, the possibility of death never vanished from her mind.
“I was scared because I thought I was going to die, getting sealed before getting swiftly buried,” Ardemil, a 35-year-old trans woman, told Bulatlat in the vernacular, admitting she was not knowledgeable on HIV and Acute Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) back then.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that the daily average of new recorded HIV cases from April to June 2025 stood at 55 cases, a bit lower compared to 57 cases from January to March 2025.
Since 1984, the total reported HIV cases in the country have risen to 153,798 after 4,979 new cases were recorded in the second quarter of this year.
Ardemil had been in and out of hospitals for three months prior to learning her status. She said medical personnel in NMMC decided to do HIV testing because of her prevailing tuberculosis and pneumonia, reaching a point where she could no longer walk due to rapid weight loss. She weighed 30 kilograms at the time.
It was a late diagnosis, she admitted, because she was clueless of HIV testing then.
This situation brought so much distress to Ardemil. There were times she wanted to surrender. However, she chose to fight back, driven by the love and determination from her family. She recalled how her mother patiently accompanied her while sitting in a wheelchair going to the third floor of NMMC for her medication.
“If not because of them, I would no longer be in this world,” she said.
This explains why she encourages persons living with HIV to disclose their status at least to their families, although she acknowledged that there are cases when families perpetuate stigma and discrimination.
Undetectable = Untransmittable
Ardemil said that she got better when she started the antiretroviral therapy (ART)—a treatment for HIV—in her daily routines. She considered this as a lifesaver.
Her weight, she said, remained at 30 kilograms when she was discharged from the hospital in 2016, but it only took three months from the time she began her HIV treatment before her weight returned to 45 kilograms. She now weighs 58 kilograms.
In October of the same year, she went back to school and lived a normal life.
According to DOH, only 66 percent, or 95,556 persons living with HIV in the country, have been on ART as of June 2025, far from the 95-percent target. The highest number of ART enrollees from the last five years was recorded in 2023.
Maintaining the treatment, Ardemil said, is not an easy task. She experienced mental health issues along the way, contemplating past occurrences that resulted in her being a person living with HIV. It might be the side effects of the treatment, she opined.
It came to a point where she tried to end her life. However, she overcame this through her kin’s guidance.
A year after her diagnosis, Ardemil proved that HIV is “not a death sentence.” This came after the amount of HIV in her blood became undetectable—even up to this day—following the continuous treatment. This means she has zero risk of transmitting the virus.
The negative HIV result of Ardemil’s significant other proved her being untransmittable—something to be emphasized, she said, to stop the stigma and discrimination. They have been together for five years now.
“HIV is not a hindrance in our relationship. If that person loves you so much, he or she can accept you,” she said.
The same DOH data showed that only 47 percent, or 44,714 persons living with HIV who have been on ART, have suppressed viral loads, meaning that the amount of HIV in their blood has been undetectable.
Becoming a voice
Other than her family, Ardemil also met another person living with HIV who helped her recover from her moments of adversity. This was the same person who introduced her to Northern Mindanao AIDS Advocates, a non-government advocacy organization.
Joining the group’s cause pushed Ardemil to take the bull by the horns. In 2017, she decided to disclose her status, doing “Hug me, I am a PLHIV” activities in public places. Her aim was to instill in people’s minds that there is life despite the presence of the incurable virus.
“Not being a representative, but we need a person who can stand tall regarding our status to address stigma and discrimination,” she added.
In an earlier Bulatlat report, data from the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) through its Community Access to Redress and Empowerment (CARE) program revealed that stigma and discrimination, and even rights violations, have been continuously experienced by people living with HIV.
This came after the lawyering group had documented 182 HIV-related stigma, discrimination, and rights violation cases from many parts of the country as of August 15. In 2024, the group recorded 203 cases.
Read: Rights violations a major concern for people living with HIV
Ardemil lamented the continuing struggle of the community, stressing that the lack of awareness remains the primary reason why it persists.
In June, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Philippines called for an immediate response to address the increasing number of HIV cases in the country, as it is currently experiencing the “fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region.” It backed DOH’s call for Marcos Jr. to sign an executive order declaring HIV as a national-priority public health concern.
After her disclosure, Raffy became active in participating in activities relating to HIV and AIDS, becoming a voice that amplifies the concerns of people living with HIV.
She is now working as the case manager for the Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines Region 10, a non-government organization that provides HIV primary care directly to the communities. She is assigned to the City Health Office of Cagayan de Oro, handling persons living with HIV.
ART is just a treatment in order to stop the reproduction of HIV. The 35-year-old advocate remains hopeful that a cure will be developed to fully eliminate HIV from their bodies. (DAA, RVO)
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