Faith, fear, and disclosure: Exploring serodiscordant relationships in Indonesia’s Muslim society

Ridwan, Eka Sari and Tanasungarn, Chanuantong and Benjakul, Sarunya and Kengganpanich, Mondha and Mohammadnezhad, Masoud (2025) Faith, fear, and disclosure: Exploring serodiscordant relationships in Indonesia’s Muslim society. Belitung Nursing Journal, 11 (5). ISSN 2477-4073

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Abstract

Background: In Indonesia’s Muslim society, serodiscordant couples navigate a complex web of faith, fear, and stigma. While HIV care efforts have advanced, understanding how religious beliefs and emotional responses shape disclosure remains limited.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of serodiscordant couples in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, with a focus on how faith, fear, and gender roles influence HIV understanding and disclosure practices.

Methods: A qualitative, phenomenological approach was employed, involving 34 participants who participated in in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted between February and May 2019. Data were thematically analyzed to capture emotional, cultural, and relational dimensions of HIV disclosure.

Results: Two main themes emerged. (1) Faith and Fear: Navigating HIV Understanding, which includes knowledge of HIV, emotional responses to an HIV diagnosis, the role of religious teachings in shaping health decisions, and the fear of social exclusion; and (2) HIV Status Disclosure and Its Complexities, highlighting motivations for disclosure, barriers to openness, and the personal impact of revealing one’s HIV status to a partner. Disclosure was often delayed or mediated by third parties, driven by fear of rejection, shame, and limited communication skills.

Conclusion: The findings revealed the dual role of faith as both a support and a barrier, and the complex interplay of gender dynamics in disclosure decisions. Community nurses in Indonesia’s primary health care settings should then play a critical role in HIV prevention by providing culturally sensitive, Islamic-faith-based counseling, gender-responsive disclosure support, and collaboration with peer support groups to foster trust, reduce stigma, and improve adherence.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.33546/bnj.4054
Dates:	Date Event 8 September 2025 Accepted 19 September 2025 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	HIV infections, disclosure, fear, faith, spouses, qualitative research, religion and medicine, Indonesia, nursing care, serodiscordant relationships
Subjects:	CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-04 - nursing and midwifery > CAH02-04-01 - nursing (non-specific)
Divisions:	Nursing and Midwifery > Adult Nursing
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	22 Sep 2025 15:04
Last Modified:	22 Sep 2025 15:04
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16650

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