ABSTRACT
We examined the influence of religion and spirituality on HIV risk contexts through in-depth interviews with men who have sex with men (n = 10) and female commercial sex workers (n = 10) in Malaysia. Using a grounded theory approach, five themes emerged from the interviews: (a) religion encourages caring for health, (b) health is influenced by a higher power, (c) prayer is a conduit to health assistance, (d) stigma is compounded by religion but it does not limit one’s spirituality, and (e) religion is not but should be incorporated into HIV campaigns. Incorporation of spirituality in service provision and addressing stigma is warranted.
Acknowledgments
We appreciate the time and willingness of participants to share their experiences and views. We also wish to acknowledge NGOs’ Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kebajikan dan Persekitaran Positif Malaysia (SEED) and PT Foundation (formerly Pink Triangle Sdn. Bhd.) who assisted with study recruitment and reflection on study implications.
Notes
1. Some participants utilized the titles of God and Allah interchangeably.