Revisiting Spirituality and AIDS

Testing the effects of spirituality has often proved tricky territory for scientists. A recent NPR story raises this issue by first looking at an HIV-positive woman who has never taken medicine and says that the power of prayer has kept her disease from developing into full-blown AIDS. That's the eye-catching example.

A 2006 study found that people who turned to God after their HIV-positive diagnosis remained much healthier than those who turned away spiritually. Researchers measured a much lower viral load in the bodies of believers, as well as higher rates of CD-4 immune cells that combat the HIV virus. But big caveat – the power of prayer alone did not replace medicine. The study compared patients with similar levels of compliance in taking medicine, as well as social support and optimism.

The psychiatrist who headed the study emphasized that she was not suggesting people should ignore their meds in favor of prayer.

An explanation probably rests with the murky mind-body connection, with other unseen psychological factors possibly playing a role between spiritual wellbeing and a better health outcome. Some studies have also shown that prayer may help psychologically, which is consistent with research that illustrates the positive psychological aspects of living a spiritual life.

However, nothing suggests that even the strongest spirituality can or should replace modern medicine at this time. Indeed, ignoring practical health steps and putting all hopes on prayer has led to preventable tragedies for a few families.