USE OF FOLK HEALING PRACTICES BY HIV-INFECTED HISPANICS LIVING IN THEUNITED-STATES

In the absence of a medical cure for AIDS, HIV-infected individuals ma y seek alternative treatments that are consistent with cultural and so cial beliefs. This paper examines beliefs about, and use of, folk heal ing practices by HIV-infected Hispanics receiving cave at an HIV/AIDS clinic in inner-city New Jersey. Anonymous individual interviews were conducted with 58 male and 18 female HIV-infected Hispanics aged 23-55 , primarily of Puerto Rican origin (61%) or descent (29%). The majorit y of respondents believed in good and evil spirits (73.7%); among the 56 believers, 48% stated that the spirits had a causal role in their i nfection, either alone or in conjunction with the AIDS virus. Two thir ds of the respondents engaged in folk healing (spiritualism and/or san teria). The main desired outcomes of folk healing included physical re lief (44%), spiritual relief (40%), and protection from evil (26%). A number of respondents (n = 9) stated that they hoped to effect a cure by engaging in folk healing. These results indicate that health care p rofessionals treating HIV-positive Hispanics should be aware of the pr evalence of folk beliefs and alternative healing practices in this pop ulation.