The Church, Adolescents and HIV/AIDS scourge among Adolescents

Description

One of the greatest health challenges confronting the society today is the HIV/AIDS pandemic, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Adolescents are not left out as their rather inquisitive posture and propensity for experimentations due to their age bracket makes them more prone. The church, whose responsibility has a social dimension, is affected as her members within this age category, are inundated with this problem. The book, therefore, set out to examine the attitudes and actions of the church to those living with HIV/AIDS, (particularly among adolescents) in Jos town from an ethical standpoint. In other words, what are the ethical, social and religious implications of the attitudes and actions of the churches to those living with HIV/AIDS? There is a high level of assistance by churches in the procurement of anti-retroviral drugs. It was also discovered that some of the Churches deny the existence of HIV/AIDS infection among their members due to the fact that they believe in “divine healing” even when it is obvious that they are dying of the disease. It is recommended that the Church should come to terms with the reality of the HIV/AIDS pandemic instead of hiding under the umbrella of divine healing. The Church should create HIV/AIDS awareness through regular teaching of the biblical principle of total abstinence from sexual intercourse before and outside marriage. The Church should intensify her advocacy of good conduct not condom. Analyzing the attitude of the church in relation to those living with HIV/AIDS is somewhat significant, particularly from the perspective of ethics. The uniqueness of the study also lies in the fact that there is need even for the Churches to be agent of help i.e. they churches themselves also needs help to be able to face the reality of HIV/AIDS crisis in Jos town. This does not seem to have been the focus of most other works examined.