Column: get tested. Don’t die quitely.

This isn’t just a headline. This is what’s happening right now — to your friends, your classmates, maybe even to you. And the scariest part? Most won’t even know they have it.

If you’ve followed my columns before, you know this isn’t new for me. I’ve written countless times about reproductive health, preventive care, and sex education. I talk about the things we were taught to stay quiet about. Because guess what? Staying quiet is killing us.

I started getting annual HIV tests and pap smears at 27. Not because I had symptoms. Not because I was “doing something wrong.” But because I refuse to be caught off guard by diseases that we now have the power to detect — early, affordably, and privately.

Let me say this louder for those in the back: Getting tested is not dirty. It’s not shameful. It’s not a confession. It’s a commitment to staying alive.

Here’s the reality we’re dealing with:

Almost 8,000 Filipinas are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year.

Over 4,000 of them die.

Many never got tested.

HIV is rising fastest among teenagers and people in their early twenties — your kapatid, your best friend, your orgmate.

You can’t tell who has HIV by looking. You won’t know if you have HPV just by guessing. And these things don’t wait for you to feel ready. They just wait — until they can’t be ignored.

And yeah, people will say, “Si Hanna, lahat nalang ng nangyayari sa kanya, kailangan niya talagang ipost.”

Yes. Because every time someone like me speaks up, someone like you might finally feel safe enough to go get tested. And that’s worth every eye roll.

In Puerto Princesa, I go to Roots of Health and Amos Tara — both offer free consultations, free HIV screening, and affordable lab tests. All you have to do is show up. It’s confidential. No judgment. No shame. Pap smear for ₱200. HIV test? Usually free. What’s ₱200 when it buys you peace of mind?

Palawan currently has the highest HIV testing rate in MIMAROPA. That’s something we should be proud of — and build on. Because the more of us who get tested, the more of us who stay alive.

I don’t just advocate for volunteerism and mental health. I fight for comprehensive sex education.

Not fear. Not silence. Not the tired “just say no” script. Real, evidence-based, life-saving education. Because abstinence isn’t a plan — it’s a gamble if it’s the only thing we’re told.

You are not weak for getting tested. You are wise.

Don’t let stigma write your story. Get tested. Don’t die quietly. Stay alive.