Dynamics of health and wellness at an African Pentecostal Churchrelated institution in Zimbabwe:

Implications for theological beliefs and values

Abstract

The article explores the challenges faced by God’s Grace University in Zimbabwe (a pseudonym), an African Pentecostal Church-affiliated institution, due to an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among its students. As one of the pioneering African Pentecostal church-affiliated universities in Zimbabwe, it has experienced a significant surge in student enrolment, which coincides with an increase in STI incidents. The information gathered during the research highlights the frequent visits by students to the university clinic for STI treatments, an indication that the university’s exclusive dependence on premarital abstinence as a preventive measure is inadequate. To curb the escalating infection rates, the article recommends the implementation of additional STI prevention strategies. Data for the article was gathered through interviews with university administrators and students, employing a descriptive phenomenological approach and interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Due to ethical considerations, the names of participants and the organisation have been omitted.