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HPV High Risk and Protective Behaviors: The Effects of Religious Affiliation

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Abstract

The majority of Americans identify themselves as belonging to some religious group. There is a mixed body of literature on whether or not religious affiliation has an influence on engaging in risky behaviors among young adults attending college. This study examined associations between religious affiliation, risky sexual practices, substance use, and family structure among a sample of predominantly white college females attending a southeastern university. Given the high risk of acquiring genital human papillomavirus infection as a result of high risk sexual practices, gaining a better understanding of how religious affiliation can be used to promote healthy sexual behaviors is warranted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Lisa Wigfall, Neethu Sebastian, Edith Marie Williams & Saundra H. Glover

  2. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Anita Rawls & Amy Messersmith

  3. Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Lucia Pirisi-Creek

  4. School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Lisa Spiryda

  5. College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Kim Creek

Authors
  1. Lisa Wigfall
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  2. Anita Rawls
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  3. Neethu Sebastian
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  4. Amy Messersmith
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  5. Lucia Pirisi-Creek
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  6. Lisa Spiryda
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  7. Edith Marie Williams
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  8. Kim Creek
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  9. Saundra H. Glover
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edith Marie Williams.

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Wigfall, L., Rawls, A., Sebastian, N. et al. HPV High Risk and Protective Behaviors: The Effects of Religious Affiliation. J Relig Health 51, 1325–1336 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9444-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9444-6

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