Table 1.

Vignettes included in the semi-structured open-ended interview.

I want to tell you a story about a girl I know. Vanessa is about your age. She wants to hang out with guys like her friends do, but she is afraid. What might she be afraid of? There’s also Natasha, who thinks no guy will ever want her. What might make her feel that way? Nicola has a different story. She has a boyfriend, Rocky. They have been dating for 5 months. They kiss and touch each other, but she isn’t ready yet to have sex with him. What are some reasons she might not be ready? I know another girl, Markita. She likes to spend time with guys, and she says she won’t ask a guy to wear a condom during sex. What might keep her from asking? I’m going to tell you about another girl, Toya. She plans to have sex without a condom. What would make her want to do this? Chanelle told me that if boys don’t put on a condom, it’s their fault. What would make her feel this way? I want to tell you one more story. I know a girl who has HIV, and she doesn’t think that she will ever get married or have a family. Why might she think that?

Notes: Responses to vignettes were followed with questions such as “in what ways are you like [vignette character] or different from her?” Also, with the exception of vignette G, vignettes did not specify whether or not the girls in the vignettes were living with HIV