title: Community perception and beliefs about blood draw for clinical research in Ghana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical research participants often express concerns about blood draw because of misconceptions about the uses to which the blood will be put. Their comments can generate rumours in their communities, thereby affecting rates of recruitment to research studies and increasing losses to follow-up. This study sought to identify community perceptions about blood draw for clinical research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 2010 and March 2011, 12 focus group discussions and eight in-depth interviews were conducted among community members in the Kintampo district of Ghana, to determine what cultural beliefs and traditional practices might affect attitudes to blood draw.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the study participants did not mention any cultural beliefs prohibiting blood draw but were of the opinion that collecting blood from children and pregnant women could lead to serious health consequences. They could not understand why blood would be taken from participants who were not sick. Some were of the opinion that blood samples could be used for rituals and others recounted unpleasant experiences following blood draws.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To facilitate clinical research that entails blood draw, it is important to address concerns and rumours through intensive community sensitisation.
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, PO Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. Owusu.Boahen@kintampo-hrc.org
authors: Owusu
authors: O
authors: Boahen
authors: Seth
authors: S
authors: Owusu-Agyei
authors: Lawrence Gyabaa
authors: LG
authors: Febir
authors: Charlotte
authors: C
authors: Tawiah
authors: Theresa
authors: T
authors: Tawiah
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Afari
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Newton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D035843:Biomedical Research; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000523:psychology*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged