HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and beliefs among a group of Iraqis

Abstract

This study aimed to build a baseline profile of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Iraqis toward HIV/AIDS. Questionnaire interviews were conducted in 2006 with 335 people attending HIV testing centres in Baghdad. Most respondents (82.7%) had heard about AIDS, mainly from the mass media (71.0%), and 91.9% knew that AIDS is an infectious disease, most commonly via sexual relationships (74.9%). There was no association between knowledge level and acceptance of caring for an HIV-positive relative or marrying an HIV-positive partner, but there was a significant association between low knowledge level and negative attitudes towards sharing food, sitting on the bus and working at the same place with an HIV-positive individual.