title: Creating social spaces to tackle AIDS-related stigma: reviewing the role of church groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: An expanding body of literature explores the role of African church groups in facilitating or hindering the support of people living with AIDS and challenging or contributing to HIV/AIDS-related stigma. Treating church groups as social spaces in which HIV/AIDS-related stigma may potentially be challenged, we systematically review this literature, identifying five themes that highlight the complex and contradictory role of the church as a potential agent of health-enhancing social change. In many ways the church perpetuates HIV/AIDS-related stigma through (i) moralistic attitudes and (ii) its reinforcement of conservative gender ideologies. However some churches have managed move towards action that makes a more positive contribution to HIV/AIDS management through (iii) promoting various forms of social control for HIV prevention, (iv) contributing to the care and support of the AIDS-affected and (v) providing social spaces for challenging stigmatising ideas and practices. We conclude that church groups, including church leadership, can play a key role in facilitating or hindering the creation of supportive social spaces to challenge stigma. Much work remains to be done in developing deeper understandings of the multi-layered factors that enable some churches, but not others, to respond effectively to HIV/AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Psychology, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK. c.campbell@lse.ac.uk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skovdal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gibbs
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D002835:Christianity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D011287:Prejudice; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012922:Social Change; D012931:Social Environment; D012934:Social Isolation; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping