ashdoc
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It seems adherance to islamic values lowers the prevalence of HIV.
For several reasons, adherence to Islamic tenets may confer protective beneï¬ts against the sexual transmissionof HIV. While Islamic marital codes permit men to marry as many as four wives and divorce relatively easily, potentially increasing the number of lifetime sexual partners—a known risk factor for acquiring HIV , prohibitions against sex outside of marriage may outweigh these risks. If followed, codes against sex outside marriage for both males and females could reduce premarital and extramarital sex as well as reduce sexual activity with commercial sex workers. Prohibitions against homosexual sex could reduce the risks of, for example, unprotected anal sex. Islam also prohibits the consumption of alcohol. By increasing risky sexual behaviour, including reduced use of condoms , alcohol consumption may favour higher rates of sexually transmitted HIV. Islamic attention to ritual washing could increase penile hygiene, lessening the risk of STD transmission . Lastly, circumcision has been identiï¬ed as a practice apparently decreasing HIV transmission . Because all Muslims should be circumcised, this practice may also reduce the acquisition of HIV. For these reasons, we may expect Islamic religious afï¬liation to be negatively associated with HIV. If adherence to tenets constraining sexuality distinguishes Muslims from members of other religious groups, or Islamic practices systematically differ from those of other religions (e.g., circumcision), then we may also ï¬nd that there is a stronger, inverse relationship between HIV and Islam compared with HIV and other religions
http://www.heart-intl.net/HEART/120104/HIVandIslamHIVprevaleMuslims.pdfThe hypothesis that Islamic religious afï¬liation is negatively associated with HIV seropositivity is generally supported. The percentage of Muslims negatively and signiï¬cantly predicted the prevalence of HIV among sub-Saharan African countries. Six of seven studies enabling within-population comparisons revealed lower HIV prevalence among Muslims.
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