title: Misconceptions about HIV infection in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo): a case-control study on knowledge, attitudes and practices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence of HIV-related misconceptions in an outpatient centre of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) and analyse the association between these beliefs and HIV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was carried out from December 2010 until June 2012. We assessed 1630 participants aged 15-49 attending a primary outpatient centre in Kinshasa: 762 HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing attendees and 868 blood donors. A 59-item questionnaire about knowledge, attitudes and practice was administered during a face-to-face interview, followed by an HIV test. Cases and controls were respondents with a newly diagnosed HIV-positive or HIV-negative test, respectively. Unconditional logistic regression was used to analyse the association between misconceptions and HIV seropositivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  274 cases and 1340 controls were recruited. Cases were more likely than controls to have a low socioeconomic status, no education, to be divorced/separated or widowed. An association was found between the following variables and HIV seropositivity: having a poor HIV knowledge (adjusted OR=2.79; 95% CI 1.43 to 5.45), not knowing a virus is the cause of AIDS (adjusted OR=2.03; 95% CI 1.38 to 2.98) and reporting more than three HIV-transmission-related misconceptions (adjusted OR=3.30; 95% CI 1.64 to 6.64), such as thinking an HIV-positive person cannot look healthy and that HIV is transmitted by sorcery, God's punishment, a kiss on the mouth, mosquitoes, coughs/sneezes or undercooked food.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite having access to healthcare services, there are still many people in Kinshasa that have HIV-related misconceptions that increase their HIV risk. Our findings underscore the need for a culturally adapted and gender-orientated basic HIV information into Congolese HIV prevention programmes.
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), Education of Affectivity and Human Sexuality, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carlos
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBER obn), Spanish Government (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Martínez-González
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain Monkole Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Burgueño
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), Education of Affectivity and Human Sexuality, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: López-Del Burgo
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruíz-Canela
authors.affiliation: Monkole Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Adolphe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ndarabu
authors.affiliation: Monkole Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Léon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tshilolo
authors.affiliation: Institut Supérieur de Sciences Infirmières (ISSI), Monkole Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Philomène
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tshiswaka
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Service, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labarga
authors.affiliation: Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), Education of Affectivity and Human Sexuality, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jokin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Irala
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: AFRICA; AIDS; HIV; PREVENTION