Amid a sharp rise in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases, especially among young Filipinos, the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday urged the youth to practice safe sex.

The advisory comes after the DOH recorded a 500-percent increase in HIV cases among those aged 15 to 25.

"I think we have a generation that's very sexually active. I just hope that they can be taught what are safer practices and less risky behaviors," DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told reporters.

Herbosa compared condom use to face mask-wearing, saying it prevents the transmission of disease.

"If you wear a mask, you prevent yourself from getting a respiratory infection," he said.

While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can help reduce the risk of contracting HIV, it does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as gonorrhea, Herbosa noted.

"If I distribute PrEP, there will be no HIV, but there could still be gonorrhea, which condoms could prevent. So we should really use condoms [during sex]," the health chief emphasized.

Herbosa also reminded young Filipinos to regularly check their HIV status and that of their partners — at least every three months.

The appeal follows the DOH’s recommendation to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to declare HIV a national public health emergency due to a continuing spike in cases.

From January to March this year, the agency recorded an average of 57 new HIV cases daily, placing the Philippines at the top of the Western Pacific Region in terms of new HIV infections.

If left unaddressed, the country could see over 400,000 HIV cases by the end of 2025. In 2024, the Philippines logged 215,000 people living with HIV.