Serological and Behavioral Survey on HIV/AIDS among prisoners in Nouakchott (Mauritania)

Abstract In Mauritania, epidemiological data estimatenational HIV prevalence to less than 1%. Our study is thefirst joint survey on HIV/AIDS conducted among prisonersin Mauritania. It is a cross-sectional survey with anonymityand informed consent. The study covered a sample of296 prisoners enrolled in a population of 706 prisoners heldin Nouakchott. The sex ratio was 14.6. The refusal rate ofblood sample was 4.7%. HIV prevalence in the sample was3.9%. 53.37% of prisoners knew the concept of seropositivitybut only 7.4% had a perfect knowledge of the ways ofHIV transmission untainted by false beliefs. The results showedthat 99% of prisoners knew that the condom is a meansof protection against HIV infection, but they also showedmany false beliefs about protection against HIV in the majorityof prisoners. Indeed, 98.49% of respondents said protectthemselves by avoiding sex with strangers and 94.97% ofthem thought that sex with girls or virgins are a protectionagainst HIV. Nearly one quarter of the prisoners did not havea good perception of risk of contracting HIV in prisonalthough homosexual relations between prisoners have beenreported. This study showed that prisoners in Mauritania area vulnerable group to HIV because the prevalence of HIV inthis group was higher than the national prevalence and thissub-population was unfamiliar with the disease and adoptrisk behaviors