The Roles of Religion and Heterosexism

Two things I would like to focus on regarding the spread of disease are: the religious social structure and heterosexism, a system of oppression.

Disclaimer: Religion is a touchy subject, so I'm sorry if I offend anyone (although this blog will not be scathing or intentionally offensive in any way). Just to be safe.

I believe that religion can play a large role in both the spread and prevention of disease. Since many religions hold rather conservative views in sexuality--by promoting abstinence and/or faithfulness to one's partner--it makes sense that religion may help in decreasing the rate of transmission of disease. However, it's also interesting to point out that, due to this common conservativeness, it is possible that members of a religion who become infected with an STI may not seek medical care from fear of being discovered and looked down upon in their religious community. From there, the STI may be left to fester and spread. So with religion, it could go either way...

Heterosexism, on the other hand, seems to only push stereotypes on others while creating fear/stigma about certain STI's and the stereotypical groups of people associated with them. Take for example HIV/AIDS and its strong association with homosexuals. Heterosexuality is considered the norm, and anything else simply is not. I read somewhere (probably our textbook, but I'm not sure) that many heterosexual men who think they may have contracted or are infected with HIV avoid being tested for it and do not seek treatment--all because they are afraid of being labeled as a homosexual. That is the power of the oppressive system of heterosexism. And, of course, because this fear and stigma keep some people from getting diagnosed (and etc.), the spread of disease can only increase.

From these two examples of our social structure, I think that our USA perspectives regarding STIs are pretty similar to others around the world. Religion is definitely a big player, and it probably has the same effects and influence on the spread of disease no matter where on the globe you may be. And I think heterosexuality is an oppressive system that is here to stay, unfortunately for some, since it seems like it is considered the norm in most other nations as well... I'm not saying that these social structures are causes of disease, but rather ways that may promote or hinder the spread of disease.