Alageel Samah, Alsadhan Norah M, Alkhaldi Ghadah, Alkasabi Rawan, Alomair Noura
Community Health Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, 11433, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insurance Operations Policies Department, Insurance Authority, 13519, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Equity Health. 2024 Dec 18;23(1):269. doi: 10.1186/s12939-024-02346-6.
Awareness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is limited in Muslim countries, even among high-risk populations. Several factors contribute to the misunderstandings and stigma surrounding HIV, including socio-cultural and religious aspects. This study explored people's experiences and perceptions of HIV awareness campaigns in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with participants from the GCC region. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis methods.
Twenty-seven participants took part in this study. The data revealed five main themes: The Necessity of HIV/AIDS Awareness, The Contrast Between Traditional and Modern Awareness, Exploring the Balance: Moral vs. Health Messages, HIV/AIDS Awareness in GCC countries, and Key Providers of HIV/AIDS Awareness. All participants emphasised the need to raise awareness about HIV in the GCC, believing that recent societal changes and increased openness justify the need for sexual health education. They stressed the importance of delivering clear and assertive health education to raise awareness while minimising the reliance on fear-based messaging. However, some participants expressed concerns about promoting condom use and HIV treatment, fearing it might encourage extramarital sex. Additionally, the lack of a religious component in the awareness messages raised concerns among some participants, as they believed adhering to religious practices was the best protection against HIV.
Muslims in the GCC recognise the importance of spreading awareness about HIV. However, they stress the need to balance religious sensitivity with the delivery of open and transparent health messages. Engaging the target community, including high-risk individuals, in planning health campaigns is crucial for improving the acceptance, reach, inclusivity, and understanding of health awareness programs.
在穆斯林国家，即使在高危人群中，对人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）的认知也很有限。有几个因素导致了围绕HIV的误解和污名化，包括社会文化和宗教方面。本研究探讨了海湾合作委员会（GCC）地区人们对HIV宣传活动的经历和看法。
我们采用半结构化访谈对来自GCC地区的参与者进行了定性研究。使用反思性主题分析方法对数据进行了分析。
27名参与者参与了本研究。数据揭示了五个主要主题：HIV/艾滋病认知的必要性、传统与现代认知的对比、探索平衡：道德与健康信息、GCC国家的HIV/艾滋病认知以及HIV/艾滋病认知的关键提供者。所有参与者都强调在GCC地区提高对HIV的认知的必要性，认为近期的社会变化和日益增加的开放性证明了性健康教育的必要性。他们强调提供清晰明确的健康教育以提高认知的重要性，同时尽量减少对基于恐惧的信息传递的依赖。然而，一些参与者对推广避孕套使用和HIV治疗表示担忧，担心这可能会鼓励婚外性行为。此外，认知信息中缺乏宗教元素引起了一些参与者的关注，因为他们认为遵守宗教习俗是预防HIV的最佳保护措施。
GCC地区的穆斯林认识到传播HIV认知的重要性。然而，他们强调需要在宗教敏感性与传递开放透明的健康信息之间取得平衡。让目标社区，包括高危个体，参与健康宣传活动的规划对于提高健康认知项目的接受度、覆盖面、包容性和理解至关重要。
