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Religion and Spirituality’s Influences on HIV Syndemics Among MSM: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Model

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Abstract

This paper presents a systematic review of the quantitative HIV research that assessed the relationships between religion, spirituality, HIV syndemics, and individual HIV syndemics-related health conditions (e.g. depression, substance abuse, HIV risk) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. No quantitative studies were found that assessed the relationships between HIV syndemics, religion, and spirituality. Nine studies, with 13 statistical analyses, were found that examined the relationships between individual HIV syndemics-related health conditions, religion, and spirituality. Among the 13 analyses, religion and spirituality were found to have mixed relationships with HIV syndemics-related health conditions (6 nonsignificant associations; 5 negative associations; 2 positive associations). Given the overall lack of inclusion of religion and spirituality in HIV syndemics research, a conceptual model that hypothesizes the potential interactions of religion and spirituality with HIV syndemics-related health conditions is presented. The implications of the model for MSM’s health are outlined.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by a supplement to a research grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01-DA036466; Jeffrey T. Parsons and Christian Grov, Principal Investigators). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST), 142 West 36th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY, 10018, USA

    Jonathan M. Lassiter & Jeffrey T. Parsons

  2. Doctoral Program in Public Health, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

  3. Department of Psychology, Hunter College of CUNY, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

  4. Health Psychology Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

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  1. Jonathan M. Lassiter
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Correspondence to Jonathan M. Lassiter.

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Lassiter, J.M., Parsons, J.T. Religion and Spirituality’s Influences on HIV Syndemics Among MSM: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Model. AIDS Behav 20, 461–472 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1173-0

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