Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Marriage, not Religion, is Associated with HIV Infection Among Women in Rural Malawi

  • Original paper
  • Published:
AIDS and Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite the fact that religious affiliation is almost universal in Malawi, and religious denomination could potentially influence HIV-risk behaviors, limited data exist on its role of in HIV infection in this setting. This study was conducted to assess whether religious denominational affiliation, religiosity or place of residence were associated with sexual behaviors and HIV infection among Christian women. A total of 63 of 939 women with HIV test results (6.7%) were HIV infected. There was no association between religion or frequency of church attendance and HIV infection or condom use within the current or most recent marriage. Compared to women who lived in a village which was neither the husband’s village nor her own village, women living with spouse in her own village or living in a husband’s village were less likely to be HIV infected.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. National Statistical Office and ORC Macro. Malawi Demographic and Health Survey 2004. National Statistics Office, Zomba, Malawi and ORC Macro, Calverton, Maryland, United States, 2005.

  2. Chersich MF, Rees HV. Vulnerability of women in southern Africa to infection with HIV: biological determinants and priority health sector interventions. AIDS. 2008;22(Suppl 4):S27–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Hattori MK, DeRose L. Young women’s perceived ability to refuse sex in urban Cameroon. Stud Fam Plann. 2008;39:309–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Pettifor AE, Measham DM, Rees HV, Padian NS. Sexual power and HIV risk, South Africa. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004;10:1996–2004.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Sayles JN, Pettifor A, Wong MD, MacPhail C, Lee SJ, Hendriksen E, et al. Factors associated with self-efficacy for condom use and sexual negotiation among South African youth. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006;43:226–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Rankin S, Lindgren T, Rankin W, Ng’oma J. Donkey work: women, religion, and HIV/AIDS infections in Malawi. Health Care Women Int. 2005;26:4–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Trinitapoli J, Regnerus MD. Religion and HIV risk behaviors among married men: initial results from a study in rural sub-Saharan Africa. J Sci Study Relig. 2006;45:505–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Levin JS, Taylor RJ. Gender and age differences in religiosity among Black Americans. Gerontologist. 1993;33:16–23.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Klunklin A, Greenwood J. Buddhism, the status of women and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Thailand. Health Care Women Int. 2005;26:46–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Adogame A. HIV/AIDS support and African Pentecostalism: the case of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). J Health Psychol. 2007;12:475–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Foster C. Disease, suffering, and sin: one Anglican’s perspective. Christ Bioeth. 2006;12:157–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hlongwana K, Mkhize S. HIV/AIDS through the lens of Christianity: perspectives from a South African urban support group. SAHARA J. 2007;4:556–63.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hamra M, Ross MW, Orrs M, D’Agostino A. Relationship between expressed HIV/AIDS-related stigma and HIV-beliefs/knowledge and behaviour in families of HIV infected children in Kenya. Trop Med Int Health. 2006;11:513–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Dowling K. Why the Pope is wrong about condoms. Interview by Deborah Kotz. US News World Rep. 2008;144:21.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Gilbert SS. The influence of Islam on AIDS prevention among Senegalese university students. AIDS Educ Prev. 2008;20:399–407.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. McCarthy AS. Crusading for change in the Catholic Church: condom promotion does not explain data. BMJ. 2005;330:1210.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Mattis J. S. African American women’s definitions of spirituality and religiosity. J Black Psychol. 2000;26:101–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Maltby J, Lewis CA. Measuring intrinsic and extrinsic orientation toward religion: amendments for its use among religious and non-religious samples. Pers Individ Dif. 1996;21:937–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Agha S, Hutchinson P, Kusanthan T. The effects of religious affiliation on sexual initiation and condom use in Zambia. J Adolesc Health. 2006;38:550–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Kalipeni E, Zulu EM. Gender differences in knowledge and attitudes toward modern and traditional methods of child spacing in Malawi. Popul Res Policy Rev. 1993;12:103–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Krugman-Randolf I. Mary wants only six children. Family planning in Malawi. Dev Coop. 1999;2:4–7.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Madise NJ, Diamond I. Determinants of infant mortality in Malawi: an analysis to control for death clustering within families. J Biosoc Sci. 1995;27:95–106.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Bauserman RL, Ward MA, Christmyer CS. Oral fluid testing: breaking down barriers to testing. National HIV Prevention Conference; August 29–September 1, 1999; Atlanta, Ga. Abstract 403. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/conferences/hiv99/abstracts/403.pdf. Accessed 25 February, 2009.

  24. Judson F, Breese P, Winters R, Columbus C, Santistevan C, George JR. Using oral fluid specimens to extend HIV antibody testing to difficult to reach urban and rural populations. In: Program and abstracts of the XI International Conference on AIDS; July 7–12, 1996; Vancouver, British Columbia, Abstract LB.C. 6059.

  25. Kagee A, Toefy Y, Simbayi L, Kalichman S. HIV prevalence in three predominantly Muslim residential areas in the Cape Town metropole. S Afr Med J. 2005;95:512–6.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Nweneka CV. Sexual practices of church youths in the era of HIV/AIDS: playing the ostrich. AIDS Care. 2007;19:966–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Leclerc PM, Garenne M. Clients of commercial sex workers in Zambia: prevalence, frequency and risk factors. Open Demogr J. 2008;1:1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Genrich GL, Brathwaite BA. Response of religious groups to HIV/AIDS as a sexually transmitted infection in Trinidad. BMC Public Health. 2005;5:121.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Moszynski P. Kenyan Muslim clerics decide to campaign against use of condoms. BMJ. 2008;336:1154.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Sedoh B. Condom use and care and support for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the religious milieu. International Conference on AIDS 2002 Jul 7–12; 14: abstract no. F11858.

  31. Kanjaye H. Church urged to review stance on condom. Inter-Press Service, 6 January 2000. Available from: www.aegis.com/news/ips/2000/IP000101.html. Accessed on 20 Feb 2008.

  32. General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist. Statement on Meeting the Challenges of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Annual Council of the General Conference Executive Committee on Sunday, September 27, 1998, in Iguacu Falls, Brazil. Available at: www.adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main_stat37.html. Accessed on 20 February 2009.

  33. Hirsch JS. Catholics using contraceptives: religion, family planning, and interpretive agency in rural Mexico. Stud Fam Plann. 2008;39:93–104.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Amin S, Diamond I, Steele F. Contraception and religiosity in Bangladesh. In: Jones GW, Douglas RM, Caldwell JC, D’Souza R, editors. The continuing demographic transition. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Iyer S. Demography and religion in India. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Iyer S. Religion and the decision to use contraception in India. J Sci Study Relig. 2002;44:711–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Jeffrey P, Jeffrey R. A population out of control? Myths about Muslim fertility in contemporary India. World Dev. 2002;30:805–22.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Singh A. Straight talk: the challenge before modern day Hinduism. Mens Sana Monographs. 2009;7:189–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. National Statistical Office. Malawi population housing census 1998. Republic of Malawi. Zomba: National Statistical Office; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Anglewicz PJ, Adams F, Obare S, Watkin S, Kohler H-P. The Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project 2004–2006. Data collection, data quality and analyses of attrition. Unpublished working paper, Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Available from: www.malawi.pop.upenn.edu. Accessed on 17 August 2008.

  41. Doctor HV. Adult mortality in rural Malawi. South Afr J Demogr. 2003;9:49–66.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Principal Investigators of the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project- Dr Susan Watkins and Hans-Peter Kohler—for making the data from the MDICP 2006 available for use in the present study. The MDICP 2006 was funded by two grants: NIH/NICHD R01-HD050142-01: Religious Organizations, Local Norms, and HIV in Africa, Principal Investigator, Susan C. Watkins and NICHD R01-HD044228: AIDS/HIV Risk, Marriage and Sexual Relations in Malawi, Principal Investigator, Hans-Peter Kohler. Previous funding to the MDCIP was from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), grants R01-HD37276, R01-HD044228-01, R01-HD050142, R 01-HD/MH-41713-0 and by the Rockefeller Foundation, grant RF-99009#199. The author was supported by the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), training grants to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: NIH/FIC 5 D43 TW006568-05—Infectious Disease Training for Malawians and NIH/FIC 5 D43 TW01039-10—UNC AIDS International Training and Research Program. The Fogarty International Center however had no role in any part of the conduct of the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Division of Community Health, University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Private Bag 360, Zomba, Malawi

    Adamson S. Muula

Authors
  1. Adamson S. Muula
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adamson S. Muula.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muula, A.S. Marriage, not Religion, is Associated with HIV Infection Among Women in Rural Malawi. AIDS Behav 14, 125–131 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-009-9624-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-009-9624-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation