Sexually transmitted infection knowledge and attitudes among Muslim women worldwide: a systematic review

Abstract

Extramarital sexual relations are forbidden in Islam, and sexual health information is not readily available in Islamic communities, especially for women. This review aimed to explore sexually transmitted infection (STI) knowledge and attitudes among Muslim women worldwide. A systematic review was conducted on seven electronic databases. We included qualitative and quantitative studies of female Muslim participants of reproductive age, focusing on STI knowledge and attitudes. A narrative synthesis approach was used with thematic analysis methods. Eighteen studies conducted in 13 countries were included. Three main themes were identified: poor knowledge and misconceptions; sources of sexual health information and information needs; and cultural influences on STI knowledge and attitudes. Generally, Muslim women had poor knowledge regarding STI signs and symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, in addition to many misconceptions. Negative attitudes towards people infected with HIV/AIDS were common, and attitudes were highly influenced by misconceptions and insufficient knowledge. Infected women tended to be subjected to more blame and judgement compared to men. While the review summarises knowledge and attitudes of Muslim women worldwide, we excluded studies that did not clearly state that the study participants were Muslim women, hence many countries with Muslim populations are not represented in this review. Negative attitudes towards STIs make it harder for women to access sexual health information, STI prevention and treatment. This review highlights the need for culturally sensitive sexual health education for Muslim women. Future sex education interventions would benefit from considering the wider personal and external barriers.

Barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Wellbeing Among Saudi Women: a Qualitative Study

“…Shariati et al, , 2014bYari et al, 2015). Women and girls may experience opposition from family members when attempting to seek answers on sexual and reproductive health topics, mainly because sexual and reproductive health information and discussions are perceived as encouraging promiscuity and premarital sex (Kirby et al, 2007;Alomair et al, 2020aAlomair et al, , 2020b.…”

“…Literature suggests that many women avoided sexual health information in order to maintain their image as sexually inexperienced, thus deemed of a good marriageable quality (Rahman, 2018). Sexual and reproductive health education for unmarried women is believed to be against Islamic religious beliefs since religious practices provide protection against sexually transmitted infections (Alomair et al, 2020a(Alomair et al, , 2020b. However, religious leaders have supporting views towards sexual and reproductive health education, with emphasis on tailored and religiously sensitive educational content (Mohammed Shariati et al, 2014a, 2014b.…”

Sexual and reproductive health knowledge, perceptions and experiences of women in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study

“…To our knowledge, this is the first in-depth study of women's experiences and perceptions of SRH in Saudi Arabia. Previous research conducted on Muslim women's SRH focused exclusively on married women, partly because researchers may feel that it is inappropriate to ask unmarried women about sexual and reproductive matters (Alomair et al 2020a(Alomair et al , 2020b.…”

“…The majority of Islamic countries do not have formal sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education in schools, and many Muslim women have little to no access to SRH information (DeJong et al 2005). Muslim women have poor knowledge about basic reproductive functions, contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (Alomair et al 2020a(Alomair et al , 2020b. Lack of SRH knowledge has been linked to negative sexual and reproductive experiences and poor health outcomes (Rahman 2018).…”

Women empowerment and sexually transmitted infections: Evidence from Bangladesh demographic and health survey 2014

“…Moreover, another literature review based in 13 countries showed that Muslim women generally had poor knowledge about STIs signs and symptoms, prevention, diagnosis, and management. The review also revealed misconceptions that fueled blame and judgmental attitudes towards women who were infected [ 9 ].…”