Christians’ perceptions and practice of ‘ABC’ strategy in the context of new HIV infections in Kiambu County - Kenya
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Date
2017-07
Authors
Musili, Telesia Kathini
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Despite the several interventions to prevent the Human Immuno-deficiency
Virus (HIV) infection and Acquired Immuno-deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), new
HIV infections are still on the rise. There is a general agreement that the leading
cause of new HIV infections is heterosexual relationships within or outside
marriage. The study sought to investigate the perceptions and practice of ABC
strategy of HIV prevention among Christians in the age bracket of 19–49, by
specifically seeking to investigate whether the A.I.C and Catholic theologies of
abstinence and fidelity influence sexual behavior of the Christians, to evaluate
Christians’ perceptions of ABC strategy of HIV prevention, to establish whether
the Christians practice the ABC strategy and to explore the barriers to successful
implementation of ABC among the Christians. This study’s conceptual
framework was drawn from four key theories: Social Identity, Social
Interactionism, Kohlberg’s theory of Cognitive Moral Development and Smith’s
theory of religious effects. The study followed a cross-sectional descriptive
design, employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Six churches
were randomly selected from a list of eighteen Catholic and Africa Inland
Churches (A.I.C) in Thika East Sub-county (TES). Four hundred and four
(n=404) study participants were conveniently selected proportional to the
population size. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, In-depth
Interview Schedules and Focus Group Discussion guides. Data analysis was
done with the help of Predictive Analytics Software (PASW). The findings of
the study suggest that positive perception of the church’s theology on sexuality
and of safe sex behavioural options may not necessarily translate into their
practice. It was realized that people make moral decisions based on what adds
value to the self but not on conforming to the church norms on sexuality. The
study concludes that there is a need for the internalization of the values
embedded in Christian moral teaching on sexuality. Thus, the study recommends
an appropriate understanding of a responsible spiritual self that upholds
subjective truth to the complexity of sexual relations and other relations existing
within the wider, complex and changing society. It calls for a rethinking of
Christian sexual ethics from an interrelational perspective that is both vertical
and horizontal in dimension. In that, the relationships between the self and God
as well as the other social relations are taken into account in the process of moral
decision making. Further, the study calls on church leaders to open up to the era
of grace and conceptualize it, then there will be a paradigm shift that will
necessitate the internalization of Christian moral values. Overall, the thesis
recommends an improved and comprehensive sexual health approach in
inculcating and analyzing sexual values that can impact positively on the lives
of persons, as we envision an AIDS-free generation.
Description
A thesis submitted to the school of humanities and social sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree Of Doctor of Philosophy of Kenyatta University. July 2017