Table 1.

Unforeseen challenges and mitigation strategies while conducting follow-up interviews with FSWs in Nairobi, Kenya, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unforeseen Challenges	Mitigation Strategies
(i) Conducting face-to-face interviews
▪ Fear of COVID-19—participants did not want to come to the facility, especially those aged 40+ years	▪ Assuring participants’ safety before their visit
▪ Participants show up in groups	▪ Scheduling participants per day and time
▪ Fear of being taken to COVID-19 quarantine facilities.	▪ Prescreening COVID-19 symptoms by telephone before scheduling the participant
▪ Half of the staff caught COVID-19	▪ Self-isolation and their contacts tested
▪ High expectations from the facility in terms of food and money when the participants came to participate	▪ Linking to organisations that could help the sex workers with food and other support
▪ Cessation of movement; hence participants were not able to come to Nairobi to participate physically	▪ We had to wait for the roads to be re-opened. Scheduling of some participants for remote interviews
▪ Participants lacked transport	▪ Reimbursement for bus tickets presented
▪ Some participants became homeless, hence affecting participation	▪ We waited for them to come when they felt able to participate (once their homelessness had been resolved)
▪ Time limitation since participants were working during the day and the facility was also operating during the day	▪ Fast-tracking such participants so that they can go to work after the interview
▪ Disinterested participants who blocked us or avoided Maisha Fiti’s calls	▪ Emphasising that participation is voluntary and honoring their right to withdraw from the study if they chose to
(ii) Conducting remote interviews
Participants living with family, children or partners who could be violent	Use of safe words in case of interruptions
Participant’s phone receiving other call(s) during the interview	Waiting for participants to complete their call and return to the interview
Participants not honoring appointments	Rescheduling them
Poor network and inaudible phones	Participants urged to find a space with good network coverage