Table 1.

Sample study content areas and sample questions/probes

Content area	Sample Questions and Probes
Opening questions/orientation to interview	I’d like to start off by asking you about your life, as a woman with HIV. How do you think having HIV has impacted your life? How does the impact of having HIV change as you get older?
Free-list exercise	“What are some of the challenges you face as an HIV infected woman, particularly at this phase of your life?” (Participants probed until no additional challenges are named.) “You said that ____________ is a problem you. Can you tell me more about that?” What role does age play in _____? (asked for each one) What about HIV? (asked for each one)
Management of health	How would you describe your overall health? What health problems are you having?
Emotional health	How do you define emotional health? Has depression ever been an issue for you? Please tell me about it.
Social support	Tell me a little about your support. Who is in your system? What kind of support do you have? What kind of support do you feel is missing? I am also interested in hearing about your experiences with stigma or discrimination. When I say stigma or discrimination, I am asking about times when you may have felt as though you were being unfairly judged for some reason. Have you had these kinds of experiences? Tell me about them.
Sexual functioning	Many women who we talk to often have some problems with intimacy or sexual contact. Has this ever been a problem for you? Please tell me about it. What specific problems have you experienced?