It is important to note, many MSM respondents said in this survey that "Even before they got diagnosed positive with HIV, they had felt as if they were committing a sin during sex. So they were bathing many times after sex. Many HIV positive MSM felt that their infection is a "curse" which makes many of them feel sinful and worthless." Alarmingly high degrees of deep-seated shame is evident which if left unaddressed end up with serious manifestations such as depression, aggression, self-harm or suicide.
Rev Phumzile added that: "Religion promotes justice -- when people justify discrimination it is because they read religious texts selectively. We need to read religious texts in their wholeness, and it focuses on love, compassion and acceptance in totality."
Rev Phumzile's concluding remarks sums up the essence of this inter-faith session so well: "My faith and spirituality is very important for me in my journey. I am created in the image of God, and God wants me to live a full life and therefore antiretroviral therapy (ART) is going to work on me. Drugs alone will not help beyond a point. We need to see spirituality as a positive force."
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