‘Nu nababa iti viral load ket haan makaakar’ – KPH Dr. Astudillo explains why getting tested for HIV and seeking treatment is important and should not be feared

If it were 30 to 40 years ago, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was widely regarded as a death sentence. But today, with the availability of testing and treatment hubs for people living with HIV (PLHIV), that is no longer the case.

Dr. Rilyn Grace Astudillo, Chairman of the KPH–HIV and AIDS Core Team, emphasized in an interview with GURU Press Cordillera that getting tested and seeking treatment for HIV are crucial steps in maintaining the health of PLHIV.

She explained that HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, and individuals who contract it do not show symptoms immediately. This, she said, is why it is important to get tested as soon as there is a possible exposure to the virus—rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.

“Ang inaatake niya [HIV] ay ‘yung immune system. Iwi-weaken niya ‘yung system, so generally dagiti PLHIV do not have symptoms at first… pero by the time na bumabagsak ang immune system nila, doon sila magsa-start magkakaroon ng symptoms. It starts with rashes or general weakness, diarrhea,” she explained.

After virus detection comes treatment, Astudillo said, citing the 95-95-95 global initiative, which aims to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. The initiative targets 95% of all PLHIV to know their status, 95% of those who know their status to be on sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95% of those undergoing ART to achieve viral suppression.

According to Astudillo, part of the treatment process is viral load testing, which measures the amount of HIV in a patient’s blood. The goal is to reduce this to a level where it becomes undetectable by standard laboratory tests. An undetectable viral load indicates that the treatment is working effectively—and when the virus is suppressed, PLHIV can no longer transmit it to their sexual partners.

“Kapag undetectable ang viral load mo sa katawan, untransmissible siya. Hindi mo siya maipapasa,” she stressed.

With this, Astudillo urged the public to get tested, especially if they believe they may have been exposed to the virus. She added that Kalinga has its own treatment hub—the Balay Lumin-awa at the Kalinga Provincial Hospital in Bulanao—which provides testing, treatment, and medicines for both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals.

At present, Balay Lumin-awa caters to 19 people living with HIV, while the province has recorded 58 HIV cases as of June 2025.‘