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Pressure on pastors advising couples with HIV forces a rethink
TOGO — The Eglise Baptiste du Plein Evangile du Togo (Full Gospel Church) Paroisse de la Frontière is on the border between Togo and Ghana in Lomé. When we stopped outside the church, Estelle Akouegnon, the HIV/AIDS Coordinator of the Bible Society of Togo, introduced me to the congregation’s assistant pastor, Dodzi Yigan-Kohoe. “I attended the first HIV/AIDS training workshop conducted by Konstanse Raen,” Pastor Yigan-Kohoe told me. “I found it extremely helpful and the information I received has helped me a lot in my pastoral work. I can really help people who are infected as well as those who are affected,” she said. Proud of all they do “We are really caring for those who are sick: we take them to hospital, pay for their tests and help to buy antiretroviral drugs (ARVs),” she said. She is clearly proud of all they do for those who are infected. When asked about the counselling of people who are intending to get married she seemed a bit uneasy. “Our doctor tests them for blood compatibility and also does an HIV test,” she explained. “The doctor then sends the results to us and then we meet the couple and disclose the test results. We are using our doctor because we don’t want false certificates.” “Do you still marry them if one of the two is HIV-positive?” I asked. “We don’t,” she replied. “We ask them to wait and pray with us. We pray that there will be healing or medicine that will cure them. Afraid for the baby “We do that for the sake of the baby. In our culture you must have children and if you are HIV-positive the child will also be infected and then his death will be on our hands,” she explained. “We are not judging people; we counsel them; we do not push them away, we try to help. We are only afraid for the baby.” As she talked, it became clear that she was not comfortable with the burden that has been placed on her and her fellow pastor. They have started to discuss a change in policy because HIV has become such a problem. “We cannot do it this way any more,” she said. “We want couples to go for voluntary testing and disclose their status to each other; it will then be for them to decide if they want to get married or not; it will be their choice. It is too hard because there are more and more people testing positive. I am definitely going to lobby for this change,” she said. Her discomfort arose from the fact that the church’s refusal to marry a couple if one partner was HIV-positive might lay the church itself open to charges of stigmatising people with HIV – even though it was the unborn child that provided their motive. This is why they are now revisiting the issue and want to give the responsibility for making the marriage choice back to the couple. Time to change “They are not the only church that feels this way,” Mrs Akouegnon said as we left. “There are many others and it will definitely take time to change the views of the leaders. Many churches are very reluctant to change their view, but I will continue to discuss it with them. We need to do that in order to eradicate the stigma that exists.” (WR 407/13 - 12.06) [1 photo] |
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