Table 2. Responses to questionnaire in Tshwane from patients who gave a venipuncture blood sample after a single (group 1) or after multiple (group 2) finger sticks.

Question asked	Responses	First group: Single Finger stick [n (%)]	Second group: Multiple Finger sticks [n (%)]
How does your finger feel after the finger stick? *	Fine	71 (54%)	80 (53%)
	Sore	59 (45%)	70 (47%)
	Don’t know	1 (0.8%)	0 (0%)
Was having a finger stick worse than having blood taken from your arm?	Yes	34 (29%)	35 (23%)
	No	70 (47%)	78 (52%)
	Felt the same	43 (29%)	36 (24%)
	Don’t know	2 (1.3%)	1 (0.7%)
Please rate the pain level from the finger sticks you received. †		Single lancet (CD4)	CD4	Hb	ALT	Cr
	1 = no pain	30 (20%)	45 (42%)	48 (43%)	68 (58%)	80 (59%)
	2 = minimal	105 (71%)	54 (50%)	44 (39%)	36 (31%)	42 (31%)
	3 = mild	12 (8.2%)	9 (8.3%)	21 (19%)	14 (12%)	12 (8.9%)
	4 = severe	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (0.7%)
Which statement is the most correct to you? ‡	I would prefer having x1 finger stick before having blood taken from my arm	97 (66%)	16 (11%)
	I would prefer having x2 finger sticks before having blood taken from my arm	51 (35%)	43 (31%)
	I would prefer having x3 finger sticks before having blood taken from my arm	0 (0%)	76 (54%)
	I prefer blood taken from my arm	0 (0%)	6 (4.3%)

CD4 = CD4 T cell enumeration (with blade); Hb = haemoglobin (with large needle); ALT = Alanine aminotransferase (with small needle); n = 149 patients for first group and 150 for second group; some questions were not answered by participants, reducing number of answers:

* n = 131 for first group;

^† n = 147 for first group, and 108 for CD4, 113 for Hb, 118 for ALT, and 135 for Cr for second group;

^‡ n = 148 for first group and 141 for second group.