A recently published survey conducted by the New York Academy of Medicine shows that many religious institutions in Asian immigrant communities are not willing to discuss HIV/AIDS education and prevention with their congregations. Many religious leaders see it as a taboo.
The survey will be published in the next issue of AIDS Education and Prevention, an international periodical.
John Chin, a Korean-American who is the lead author of the survey, thinks that religious institutions, like temples and mosques, have traditionally provided vital assistance to new immigrants. Health information, particularly on AIDS, he argues, should also be part of the services, especially when it means saving lives.
According to Chin, religion has a great influence on many immigrants and can be a great force in the fight against AIDS. However, discussion on these issues is almost non-existent in Asian immigrant communities. Chin added that religious institutions should play a more aggressive role to spread prevention information and help people affected by the issues.
The survey, which was sponsored by the National Institute of Health and conducted in English, Chinese and Urdu, surveyed 17 religious institutions and leaders, including a Buddhist temple in Chinatown, a Hindu temple, an Islamic Center and a mosque in Queens. The survey asked interviewees about their knowledge of AIDS on their attitude to the disease, and if they were willing to provide services of education and prevention.
According to Chin, this is the first systematic study of Asian religious leaders and their attitude towards AIDS in the United States.
Notably, the survey reveals some worrying issues. Many religious leaders said that AIDS is not a serious problem in their community, despite some contradicting clinical data. Religious leaders believe that AIDS and “non-marital and homosexual sex and drug use” are inappropriate topics in a religious setting.
But the survey also shows that some religious leaders are open to discussions on AIDS in the context of “charity work” as long as non-marital sex and homosexual behavior can be avoided. They also agree the topic can be tackled in an indirect way on the premise of promoting general health in the community.
Chin said that new immigrants have a hard time getting an access to mainstream health information because of language and cultural barriers. It is critical, he added, that they can rely on community institutions to get important health information.
