Sikhism: Care of Women, Coping with Illness and End-of-Life Care

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The Sikh religion originated in Pakistan in 1499, founded by Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Sikhism believes in one God, and the goodness of the human soul, and while it takes concepts from both Hinduism and the Muslim religion, it is an entirely unique religion. World-wide, the Sikh religion has over twenty-two million followers, and is considered the fifth largest religion in the world. North America is experiencing an increase in citizens of Sikh religion and this means that healthcare providers have to continually become more knowledgeable about this religion in order to properly deal with Sikh patients (Mago, 2001). Within this paper, the issues of the care of women, coping with illness, as well as end-of-life care will be discussed. Each of these topics has a mix of beliefs similar to those of conventional western medical practices, as well as a unique view. Both women and men of Sikh religion are generally private people, especially when it relates to their health, in particular their sexual health. Women do not discuss anything related to their sexual health with a male doctor, and even to a female doctor, it may be difficult to uncover all pertinent information. Lust is something forbidden in the Sikh religion. For this reason, issues such as sexually enhancing drugs such as Cialis and Viagra, while not outlawed, are definitely discouraged by those whom associate them with lust. The same can be said for birth control pills, as since they can be associated with lust and also disrupt the natural cycle of procreation, are discouraged. With that in mind, sex should only be allowed within marriage in the Sikh religion, and while abortion is not directly discussed in the Sikh religion, there are some Sikhs that believe the fe...

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...such as this, awareness of the importance of variations in end-of-life procedures will be recognized and hopefully more widely covered. With Sikhism it can be understood that it is a religion of intense history but can be easily understood, at the very least, on a basic level if the proper time and care is taken. Physicians and others in the healthcare field must be sensitive and respectful of the religion and wishes of its followers. In Canada, there are upwards of 500,000 Sikhs, most of which are located in major cities, such as Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria. While a minority religion, it is steadily growing and should be properly recognized in the medical field. Issues of Sikh women in healthcare are much more conservative than most western cultures are used to, but it must still be dealt with accordingly (Coward, 2000).

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