Background: AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease syndrome that represents the late clinical stage of infection with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Now with more than 5 million people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, its prevalence in India is second only to South Africa. India is considered to be a ?next wave? country. Most HIV infections in India are due to sexual transmission (84-86%). In the North East, however, injection of drugs is the main mode of transmission. Women account for 39% of India__ampersandsignlsquo;s estimated HIV/AIDS prevalence Aim: To assess the status of prevailing misconceptions of HIV/AIDS in a rural community in South India. Methodolgy: Study Area The administrative limits of primary health center, Kaiwara, Chintamani Taluk,.Study Population People living in the administrative limits of Primary Health Center Kaiwara, which is approximately 32, 772 Study Design: Cross sectional study Sample size: 1332 Results : From the study that only 30% of the study population knew that HIV is a virus; 54% of the subjects knew all the 4 modes of transmission where as 22.40% had no knowledge about all the modes of transmission. Conclusion: The most common misconception with respect to modes of transmission was that, HIV/AIDS can be transmitted by mosquito bites (34%). The misconceptions other than the modes of transmission like HIV being transmitted to the children by playing with the HIV affected children(14.3%) and also HIV can be transmitted by just buying vegetables from a vegetable vendor(18%) who is affected by HIV is quite prevalent among the study population.v