CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOSITY, SEXUAL BEHAVIOURS AND HIV RISK: A STUDY ON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AGES 14~21 IN STANN CREEK DISTRICT, BELIZE

支持減輕與消除HIV/AIDS的國際援助組織改善了其接受資助與贈款之方式。當援助國正為解決國內或區域議題而忙碌，其對全球援助的承諾也漸漸不再是援助組織優先關注的事。而今，受援國的本地組織與公民社會團體也進而創造、追求具有附加價值且有效預防HIV的方法。在1986年確診第一起HIV病例後，貝里斯三十年來持續地在預防HIV上投注心力；而其成效有所起伏。過去幾年，HIV感染率較高者為：有同性性行為之男性、20至24歲間的年輕女性與40至49歲間的中壯年男性。至今，尚未有研究完整地分析為何HIV在不同人口群間有不同的感染率。 為著手上述問題之初步分析，本研究探討宗教信仰虔誠度（religiosity）在「性決定（sexual decision-making）」的角色與後續HIV感染風險。宗教信仰虔誠度，可從人們活化宗教傳統的方式以及人們在日常生活中全心投入於宗教的程度得知。對許多人而言，宗教是指引決策的道德準則，而性行為是一在宗教道德規範內的事項。本研究檢視，14至21歲居於貝里斯Stann Creek年輕人習自基督教派學校的保守宗教信仰如何影響其性行為，以及該性行為如何與HIV感染風險相關。 研究結果發現，保守宗教信仰對宗教實踐、性實踐與傳染風險有顯著影響。宗教信仰與宗教實踐、性實踐皆為顯著正相關之關係。性實踐與宗教實踐顯示為是在模型中促進自變項與依變項互動之中介變項（mediating variables）。結果分析說明了針對年輕人「一體適用（one-size fits all）」的策略是難以描繪和實踐的。與宗教、性行為與HIV風險無關，仍有許多有待我們驗證並解答Olivier（於2010年）提出的問題：宗教會是我們的無關緊要他者、是敵人或者是盟友？（Will religion be “an irrelevance, an adversary or an ally?”）International aid organizations working to support HIV/AIDS mitigation and elimination have streamlined their grant-making approach. As donor countries are grappling with national and regional issues, pledges to these donors for global development aid has become less of a priority. Now, local, civil society organizations who are recipients are compelled to create and seek value-added and efficiency methodologies to HIV prevention. In Belize, HIV prevention efforts have been ongoing for thirty years since the first case of HIV was identified in 1986, with national achievements fluctuating during this time. The last couple years have seen the burden of HIV infection heaviest in men who have sex with men (MSM), young women 20~24 years and older men 40~49 years (MOH, 2015). And to date, no comprehensive analysis of what has led to the fluctuations in HIV rates in different populations has been conducted. In an effort to begin that analysis, this study looks at the role of religiosity in sexual decision-making and consequent HIV risk. Religiosity can be defined as the way a person animates to his/her religious tradition, how a person gives life to religion in everyday life. For many, religion is a moral gauge that guides decision-making, and sexual activity is one such phenomenon that lies within the spectrum of morality. The research tests how young peoples’ (between 14~21 years in Stann Creek district, Belize) conservative religious beliefs learned in denominational schools affect their sexual behaviours and how those behaviours translate to HIV risk. Findings were that conservative religious beliefs does have a significant effect on religious practices, sexual practices and transmission risk. Religious beliefs, religious practices and sexual practices are positively and significantly correlated. Sexual and religious practices have been found to be mediating variables, variables facilitating the interactions between the independent and dependent variables in the model. The analysis of these results prove just how elusive a one-size-fits-all strategy for young people is and can be. There remains much to be tested, not in the least regarding religion, sexual behaviours and HIV risk for us to resolve Olivier’s (2010) question: will religion be “an irrelevance, an adversary or an ally”