Manila (AsiaNews) - "Marital fidelity and a responsible use of sexuality are the best way to curb the spread of HIV”, says Sister Cecilia Vinoy, professor of Christian ethics at the University of Dominican St. Thomas (UST). The nun adds that "the recent rise in AIDS cases in the country is alarming. In the modern world, the excessive media promotion of the free and safe sex has led to an increase in promiscuous relationships”.

According to the National Institute of Health and Epidemiology there were 432 new cases since the beginning of the year. Of these 70 in July alone, an increase of 32% compared to 2008. This brings to 3911 the total number of infections since 1984.

In this context, the category most at risk is that of workers living abroad with family in the Philippines. Of the 70 cases recorded in July, 21 are migrants who have contracted the virus in other Asian countries - mainly through homosexual relations – transmitting it to their wives. A study by the United Nations Development Program (UND) reveals that in Asian countries about 90% of women with AIDS (1.7 million) are the wives or girlfriends of migrants.

Last March, during his trip to Cameroon, the Pope had expressed the policy of the Church with regards the scourge of HIV, saying that "AIDS is a tragedy that can not be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems. It requires a moral and proper human behaviour and a great attention to the sick".

Echoing what was said by the pope, Sister Cecilia said that "the Filipino Church through Caritas and other organizations, has for years been involved in educating people to practice responsible sexual relationships, promoting marital fidelity as a major deterrent to the spread of the virus."

For the religious "the most important thing is to educate people in their lives to follow ethical and religious values, values that also include the sexual sphere." She continues by saying that "people need to develop a proper understanding of sexuality that should be considered a gift from God and a sacred aspect of life."

Despite the increasing incidence, in the Philippines each year the number of infections and deaths is far lower than other countries in South East Asia. In 2008 there were 9 thousand infections in the country (0,1% of the population) and 308 deaths. In the same year in Thailand, where international associations have made massive campaigns to promote condom use, there are 610 thousand infected (1% of the population) and 31 thousand deaths. This disproportion in favour of the Philippines is mainly due to the spread of Catholic education within families. The Church has always been active in ensuring care and solidarity for the sick, but especially so in the field of education with campaigns and prevention policies that are actually able to stop the spread of the infection.