AEGiS-14IAC: The religious penance - As global significance!.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

DonateNow
Print this article

The religious penance - As global significance!.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. F11787)

Makarla SP
Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India

ISSUE: An act which shows that you regret for some thing, in the name of God - Religious Penance. PILGRIMS as unknowing victims of HIV/AIDS.

DESCRIPTION: The project is carried out in two different temples of hindu religion for head shave and pinning, piercing & hooking. Head shaving is also practiced by muslims, christians, buddists etc. Head Shaving(Tonsure) Project at world's richest Hindu Temple, Tirupati, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. Approximately 40,000 pilgrims per day visit temple and tonsure before worshipping the God. The ethical means of head shave is penance. Pinning, piercing ans hooking Project at Tiruttani and Palani, Temple Department, Govt. of TamilNadu, INDIA. Penance of pinning, piercing and hooking is done all over the body. The armaments used in penance are made of copper, silver, gold etc. So, thousands of pilgrims undergo these penances perpetually and are prone to contamination with HIV/AIDS due to malpractices with respect to washing, cleaning, lack of sterilization, aseptic concept, continous use of alum stone, knives without washing etc.

ISSUES: The project results with the discovery of the following: - Ignorance - Lack of training - Negligence - Contamination - Pilgrims as victims to HIV - Low Penance recognition and Latent victims - Immediate implementation of basic medical concepts, sterilization, HIV/AIDS awareness.

RECOMMENDATIONS: - Induction, training and awareness programmes to health workers, barbers and pinners, public and temple officials. - Involvement and Commitment of local municipal corporations, health ministers and other politicians/ministers. - Recognition of unknowing victims of HIV/AIDS through such religious penances is very important.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Islam, Awareness, Clergy, HIV Seropositivity, Religion, Socioeconomic Factors, Protestantism, IndiaKWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hivinfections,islam,awareness,clergy,hivseropositivity,religion,socioeconomicfactors,protestantism,india

020707
F11787

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.