Pia Wurtzbach kicks off advocacy efforts on HIV awareness
image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/wurtzbach-hiv.jpg
Photo courtesy of UNICEF Philippines
Before being crowned as Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach said that she will use her voice to influence the youth and raise awareness on HIV if she wins the title — and she has the whole world listening. On January 27, 2016, she started to live by her promise.
In a meeting, Wurtzbach listened to the stories of the young people affected by HIV or human immunodeficiency virus and discussed with the youth advocates of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the steps on how to address the said infection.
“What we can do as a country is to talk about what is happening and what this means for our country and for our children. We should encourage discussion and come together to find solutions,” Wurtzbach said as quoted by the UNICEF Philippines.
The 26-year-old beauty queen said that it is “shocking” that the Philippines is one of the countries with the fastest growing rates of HIV infection.
According to the UNICEF Philippines, the country is one of only nine countries worldwide where HIV cases have increased by 25 per cent. It added that the HIV infections have risen by 50 per cent among Filipinos aged 15 to 19 from 2010 to 2014.
Furthermore, the United Nations program cited the 2013 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey claiming that only 17 per cent of the Filipino youth have the correct knowledge about HIV and AIDS, and that 70 per cent of young people’s sexual interactions are unprotected.
Therefore,Wurtzbach expressed her desire to use her voice to bring awareness, especially to the young, who do not know how to protect themselves against the virus.
Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/pia-wurtzbach-kicks-off-advocacy-efforts-on-hiv-awareness/#TwPZwweSq37PARe8.99
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