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. 2014 May 13;9(5):e97131.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097131. eCollection 2014.

Can churches play a role in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic? A study of the attitudes of christian religious leaders in Madagascar

Jerry S Rakotoniana  1 , Jean de Dieu M Rakotomanga  2 , Hubert Barennes  3
Affiliations

Can churches play a role in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic? A study of the attitudes of christian religious leaders in Madagascar

Jerry S Rakotoniana et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Introduction: Churches occupy an important social and cultural position in Madagascar. The sexual transmission of HIV raises controversies about the role that Churches can play in preventing HIV/AIDS. This cross-sectional survey investigated recommendations by religious leaders for condom use and other preventive strategies in the context of international guidelines.

Methods: A questionnaire was self-administered to a random sample of religious leaders. The questions related to preventive methods against HIV/AIDS such as: condom use, marital fidelity, sexual abstinence before marriage, and HIV-testing. Associations with recommendations for condom use were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results: Of 231 religious leaders, 215 (93.1%) were willing to share their knowledge of HIV/AIDS with their congregations. The majority received their information from the media (N=136, 58.9%), a minority from their church (N=9, 3.9%), and 38 (16.4%) had received prior training on HIV. Nearly all (N=212, 91.8%) knew that HIV could be sexually transmitted though only a few (N=39, 16.9%) were aware of mother-to-child transmission or unsafe injections (N=56, 24.2%). A total of 91 (39.4%) were willing to, or had recommended (N=64, 27.7%), condom use, while 50 (21.6%) had undergone HIV testing. Only nine (3.9%) had ever cared for a person living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). Multivariable logistic regression shows that condom use recommendations by religious leaders were negatively associated with tertiary level education (OR: 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.7), and positively associated with knowing a person at risk (OR: 16.2, 95% CI 3.2-80.2), knowing of an ART center (OR: 2.6, 95% CI 1.4-4.8), and receiving information about HIV at school (OR: 2.6, 95% CI 1.2-5.6).

Conclusions: Malagasy church leaders could potentially become key players in HIV/AIDS prevention if they improved their knowledge of the illness, their commitment to international recommendations, and extended their interaction with people most at risk.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flow chart of the survey of religious leaders in Madagascar.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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