Knowledge and attitude on HIV/AIDS among pregnant and lying-in women, and related people in rural areas

Objective To understand the know ledge of pregnant and lying-in women,and related people on human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)/acquired immure deficiency syndrome(A IDS)and attitude to HIV positive pregnant women in Yunnan rural areas.Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in 223 rural women after 28-week gestation and new mothers with infants aged 3 months or less,and 310 related community peo ple in 4 towns of one county,Yunnan.Results The average awareness rates about HIV/AIDS among pregnant women and new mothers,their husbands,mothers-in-law,childbearing age women,village doctors,and village leaders were 61.1%,64.3%,38.2%,67.1%,92.3% and 84.3% respectively,and the awareness rates of 8 core indicators were 5.4%,4.9%,0%,3.3%,58.4% and 15.0% respectively,Seventy per cent of the pregnant women and new mothers and 50% of the husbands declared that they were feared to contact with people living with HIV.Seventy percent of the husbands,13.4% of the mothers-in-law,23.7% of the childbearing age women,and even 10% of village leaders indicated that they would drive away or keep away from HIV positive pregnant women.Conclusion The know ledge levels of HIV transmission routes among Yunnan rural people are high.However,rural people are less aware of the knowledge about prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV,and they are scared to HIV/AIDS,discriminated,against HIV positive pregnant women as well.