Table 2.

Key characteristics of including qualitative studies (n=10)

First Author, publish year	Years of Study	Place, country	Study design	Participants (N)	Sampling methods
1. Liu Y, et al. 2016	2011	Beijing, China	Qualitative study: focus group discussion (FDG)	40 HIV-positive MSM aged ≥18 years, self-reported MSM, and reside in Beijing.	Peer-referral snowball recruitment strategy from a community-based gay-friendly organization
2. Graham SM, et al. 2018	2013–2014	Malindi, Kilifi, or Mtwapa communities, Kenya	Qualitative study, semi-structured in-depth interviews	30 HIV positive gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (18 years or older, had sex with male in the past 12 months).	Peer outreach and referrals from local GBMSM-friendly providers with purposive sampling
3. Chakrapani Venkatesan, et al. 2011	2007	Chennai, India	Qualitative study, six focus groups for MSM and four key-informant interviews for community leaders	17 MSM and transgender women (male-to-female)	Purposive sampling through four CBOs in Chennai
4. Bui Hao, et al. 2017	2015	Hanoi, Vietnam	Qualitative study, in-depth qualitative interviews	35 HIV positive men who have sex with men (20 receiving ART and 15 not receiving ART)	Snowball sampling based on social networks (outreach team, CBOs, HIV/AIDS network, etc)
5. Wei CY, et al. 2014	2012	Nanjing, China	Qualitative study, semi-structured interviews, seven focus groups	49 men who have sex with men, including both HIV positive and HIV negative MSM	Purposive sampling, including referrals from CBOs, VCTs and peer referrals.
6. Arnold E.A., et al. 2017	2014	San Francisco Bay Area, USA	Qualitative in-depth interviews from a randomized controlled trial	25 HIV positive Black men who have sex with men and women from 396 RCT sample	Purposive sampling from an existing RCT by screening the HIV positive individuals in control and intervention arm
7. Hoffman M, et al., 2016	2011	Salvador, Brazil	Qualitative semi-structured interviews	25 HIV-infected men, including 16 MSM (age>=18 and confirmed HIV diagnosis)	Convenience sampling by inviting patients of previous quantitative survey to participate in an interview at the time of a scheduled medical consultations or pharmacy visit
8. Lazuardi, et al., 2020	2015–2016	Three Indonesian cities	Four focus group interviews with 20 HIV-positive MSM, and four in-depth interviews	24 HIV-positive MSM (men were eligible to participate if they were 16 years of age or older, reported ever having had sex with men and were deemed able to provide informed consent.)	Participants were recruited with assistance from HIV prevention outreach workers employed by four local organizations. These workers approached potential participants during community outreach visits and virtual outreach work using social media such as WhatsApp. Recruitment also involved a snowballing technique.
9, Carnes, et al. 2021	Not reported	Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles.	A single session, semi-structured, individual interview	84 MSM living with HIV (living with HIV, 18 years of age or older, male, black and/or Latino, sex with another man in the prior six months, and spoke English or Spanish)	Recruitment occurred through passive measures, e.g., flyers.
10. Nakiganda, L.J., et al., 2022		8 villages in rural Southwestern Uganda	Semi structured interview	16 MSM (18 years or older)	Participants were identified and recruited through purposive and snowball sampling techniques with the assistance from peer leaders in local social networks