Perceptions of church members regarding congregants on antiretroviral therapy in Limpopo Province, South Africa

The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions of church members regarding congregants who are on antiretroviral therapy in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study was conducted in churches of Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study utilised an exploratory, descriptive, qualitative research design. The study focused on church members in Vhembe District of Limpopo Province. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select church members for participation. The sample size was 30 church members, determined by saturation of data. Semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect data, and data was analysed using Tech's eight steps of the coding process, through the content analysis method. The study yielded four themes, namely, church members’ understanding of antiretroviral therapy, attitudes of church leaders towards congregants on antiretroviral therapy, the roles, and responsibilities of church leaders towards congregants on antiretroviral therapy and, psychosocial challenges faced by congregants on antiretroviral therapy. Church members understood what antiretroviral therapy is used for, and some were specific about its impact in suppressing the viral load and improving the CD4 count. However, some church leaders were reported to be negative towards congregants on ART. As much as church members knew about ART and its use, people living with HIV/AIDS were subjected to rejection, discrimination, and stigmatization and lacked general support in churches. HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns are necessary to impart to church members information that is readily available, appropriate, and effective. These campaigns could be delivered through workshops targeting church members, including both church leaders and congregants. Key Words:perceptions, church congregants, church members, HIV/AIDS, Antiretroviral therapy, Limpopo province