I can do all things: Positive religious coping and its effects on risk reduction

African American women continue to be disproportionately represented in the number of people infected and affected by HIV.  Churches are cornerstones in the African American community and a tremendous source of social support. 80% of African Americans consider religion very important in their lives, 60% attend church regularly, and 60% of the congregation are women. Thus, the church would be an excellent source for HIV prevention. This study examines the effectiveness of a faith-based HIV prevention intervention for African American women 18-34, and more specifically looks at the correlation between positive religious coping and sexual risk reduction.

 A 2-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the CDC-defined evidenced based SISTA intervention with an adapted faith-based version of SISTA (P4). Participants were single, heterosexual, African American women age 18-34 engaging in risky sexual behaviors and attending church in Atlanta, GA. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 3- and 6-month visits.

134 African American women participated in the study. Correlations between positive religious coping and sexual risk reduction variables were analyzed for each condition. In comparison with the SISTA condition, positive religious coping in the P4 condition was significantly correlated with religious participation, condom use and negotiation skills, strength of religious faith, influence of church doctrine on HIV/STD testing and birth control.

Implementing a faith-based HIV prevention intervention in religious settings is an effective means of risk reduction among African American women 18-34. Women in the P4 condition who used positive religious coping strategies were more likely to reduce their HIV risk.