GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/4 July) – Health authorities here confirmed Wednesday two new positive cases of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV, bringing the disease incidence in the area to 32.

Dr. Mely Lastimoso, coordinator of the City Integrated Health Services Office’s (CIHSO) Social Hygiene Clinic, said two male professionals based in the city have tested positive of the disease based on results of the confirmatory tests released late last month by the Department of Health (DOH) central office.

She said the two patients initially tested positive of the disease during the initial screening conducted by their office for possible infection of HIV – the disease that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS.

Lastimoso said the victims had sought help from their office and voluntarily signified to undergo the HIV/AIDS screening and confirmatory tests.

“As of today we have 32 documented HIV/AIDS cases in the city and this is quite alarming considering that the number of new infections here has steadily grown these past several years,” she said.

Since May last year, the confirmed HIV/AIDS cases in the city increased by four and with the two other cases only detected last April.

Of the 32 confirmed and documented HIV/AIDS cases in the city, 11 were still in the HIV stage while the rest have developed into full-blown AIDS.

Last year, the CIHSO confirmed five new HIV/AIDS cases, which involved gays, bisexuals and other men who have sex with men or MSM.[]/a> with |||