HIV and Islam: is HIV prevalence lower among Muslims?

Gray, Peter B.

doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(03)00367-8

Cited by 169 publications

(151 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

135

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These teachings include prohibition of sex outside marriage and prohibition of alcohol consumption. Islamic teachings also encourage Muslims to circumcise male children in infancy [28]. The empirical data from our study support male circumcision and prohibition of alcohol use as possible explanations for the lower HIV prevalence among Muslims.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Inter-religious Cooperation for HIV Prevention in Uganda: A Study among Muslim and Christian Youth in Wakiso District

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Inter-religious cooperation has been recommended to address various issues for the common good. Muslims and Christians in Uganda are working together on HIV prevention in this spirit. A study was done to compare HIV prevalence and HIV-risk behaviors between Muslims and Christians. A total of 2,933 Christian and 1,224 Muslim youth between 15-24 years were interviewed and tested for HIV. The HIV prevalence was significantly lower among Muslims (2%) compared to Christians (4%). Muslims were more likely to be circumcised, avoid drinking alcohol and avoid having first sex before 18 years. These behaviors which may have led to lower HIV infections among Muslims are derived from Islamic teachings. Muslim religious leaders need to continue to emphasize these teachings. Christian religious leaders may need to consider strengthening similar teachings from their faith tradition to reduce new HIV infections among their communities. Muslims and Christians working together as good neighbors, in the spirit of inter-religious cooperation, can generate evidence-based data that may assist them to improve their HIV prevention interventions. By sharing these data each community is likely to benefit from OPEN ACCESSReligions 2011, 2 708 their cooperation by strengthening within each religious tradition those behaviors and practices that appear helpful in reducing new HIV infections.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Inter-religious Cooperation for HIV Prevention in Uganda: A Study among Muslim and Christian Youth in Wakiso District

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Boyle, 2004;Siegfried, Muller, Deeks, Volmink, Egger, Low et al, 2005). Last, but not least, Gray points out the religious ban on pre-marital and extra-marital sex and on homosexual intercourse (Gray, 2004). If Gray's article had been known to my informants, I have no doubt that all his ''Islamic tenets // reducing the sexual transmission of HIV'' would have occurred in my material.…”

Section: Hiv/aids and Islamic Moral Superioritymentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Anthropologist Peter Gray notes in an article from 2004 that out of seven studies on HIVprevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, six could be interpreted as supporting his basic hypothesis that Islamic religious affiliation correlates negatively with HIV-prevalence. In an attempt to explain these results, Gray states that ''several Islamic tenets may have the effect, if followed [my emphasis], of reducing the sexual transmission of HIV'' (Gray, 2004(Gray, , p. 1751. He provides examples.…”

Section: Hiv/aids and Islamic Moral Superioritymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…He may here also refer to the cleaning the genitals with water after urinating (instinja'). Gray further notes that other studies have indicated that male circumcision may reduce the risk of contracting HIV (Gray, 2004). It should be noted that a direct connection between male circumcision and reduced risk of HIV-transmission is not generally accepted (see, e.g.…”

Section: Hiv/aids and Islamic Moral Superioritymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

HIV/AIDS and Islamic religious education in Kisumu, Kenya

Svensson¹

2007

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this article is to describe and critically discuss the discourse on HIV/AIDS within the framework of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) in Kisumu, Kenya. It is based on data collected mainly through participant observation and interviews during five fieldwork sessions in the period 20032006. The context is the research project Islamic education and social development in Kisumu, Kenya, financed by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). The article describes how the issue of HIV/AIDS is present in the context of IRE, mainly in secondary schools in Kisumu, an area heavily affected by the pandemic. The framework in which teachers and students address the issue is one conditioned by notions of religiously correct and incorrect sexual behaviour and gender, and by the fact that Muslims constitute a religious minority in Kisumu. The article argues that the main role of the local discourse on HIV/AIDS and Islam in the context of IRE is to strengthen notions of religious and moral superiority, and hence boost the self-esteem of the Muslim students. Furthermore, it provides support for dominant views and norms relating to Islam, gender and sexuality.

show abstract

“…Although the "Community Sentinels" are the least progressive among the three groups of organizations, their influence combined with their focus on behaviors that may be protective (Gray, 2004;Hodge, 2004) and their access to charitable resources and volunteers (RossSheriff, 2001) uniquely position them to confront the challenges of HIV/AIDS among their members and in their neighborhoods and less directly in the wider ethnic community. Constructive engagement with these institutions can foster this role or at least neutralize any negative impact they may have in shaping places with regard to HIV-related taboos and stigma.…”

Section: Paradigm Shifters Professionals and Community Sentinels: Qumentioning

confidence: 99%

Paradigm shifters, professionals, and community sentinels: Immigrant community institutions’ roles in shaping places and implications for stigmatized public health initiatives

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Immigrant community institutions are strategically positioned to facilitate or impede public health efforts in their neighborhoods and communities because of their influence over discourse regarding values and tradition. Their authority may be particularly relevant when stigmatized or sensitive issues, such as HIV or reproductive health, are addressed. Using qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze data collected from 22 Chinese and South Asian immigrant institutions in New York City, we examine attitudes about HIV, social change and tradition to delineate the different structural roles that Asian immigrant community institutions play in relation to the preservation of traditional values and culture in their neighborhoods and communities. Implications are explored for working with immigrant community institutions to conduct HIV-related work and other stigmatized public health initiatives in immigrant neighborhoods.

show abstract

HIV and Islam: is HIV prevalence lower among Muslims?

Cited by 169 publications

References 22 publications

Inter-religious Cooperation for HIV Prevention in Uganda: A Study among Muslim and Christian Youth in Wakiso District

Inter-religious Cooperation for HIV Prevention in Uganda: A Study among Muslim and Christian Youth in Wakiso District

HIV/AIDS and Islamic religious education in Kisumu, Kenya

Paradigm shifters, professionals, and community sentinels: Immigrant community institutions’ roles in shaping places and implications for stigmatized public health initiatives

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About