Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116766

Nancy Muturi, PhD, Kansas State University, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Manhattan, KS 66506, 785 532-3963, nmuturi@yahoo.com and C.Maxine Ruddock-Small, BSc, MBA, UWI HARP, University of the West Indies, c/o Dept. of Community Health & Psychiatry, Postgraduate Medical Education Building, Faculty of Medical Sciences, U of the W Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica.

Spiritual healing has been in existence long before the advent of modern medicine when the concept of health and sickness was seen as religious or moral. Today, Religiousness has been associated with reduced risk of many illnesses and increasing the median survival time significantly (Aldridge, 2000).

This paper focuses on the link between spirituality and HIV/AIDS healing in the Caribbean using data collected through 12 focus groups and 30 in-depth interviews with members and leaders of Faith-Based Organizations and 30 persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) in Jamaica.

Key findings indicate strong beliefs in spiritual healing where in the absence of conventional medicine, majority of PLWAs turned to their faiths for spiritual healing. With an exception of a few, majority of leaders participate as spiritual healers through prayer and laying of hands to those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Spirituality is also associated with diverting serious consequences including purposively infecting others, homicide to those suspected of carrying the virus and suicidal attempts among those infected. However, stigma associated with HIV/AIDS linking it with sinful acts like homosexuality prevents many leaders from providing the needed care and support. Discrimination is also prevalent within some FBOs where members avoid physical and other direct contacts with the victims of HIV/AIDS, which is directly associated with the lack of understanding of the diseases among leaders and members of FBOs. This calls for stronger collaboration with the health agencies on the development of public and strategic education programs on HIV/AIDS in the region.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn about the strong link between spirituality of healing of terminal diseases like HIV/AIDS and the current practices and barriers in the Caribbean. They will also learn the need to incorporate spirituality and conventional medicine for the welfare and physical, social and emotional well-being of those affected and infected by the epidemic

Keywords: Alternative Medicine/Therapies, Faith Community

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.