Table 1.
Guiding questions for the in-depth interview discussions
| Theme | Issue | Guiding question |
|---|---|---|
| Lived experience | (1) How would you describe your activities in a typical day? | |
| (a) Probe: for most common activities involved in daily work | ||
| (2) Could you tell me in what way you negotiate with your “emotional” partner or clients regarding protection (condom use)? | ||
| (a) Probe: were there any risks considered while negotiating? | ||
| (3) When were clients not ready to use a condom? | ||
| Dynamics of their relationship with partners or clients and sexual violence | (4) What health problem do women like you face? | |
| (a) Probe: for rape, sex without a condom, painful and “rough” sex in the vagina and anus | ||
| (b) Probe: for police arrest, drivers’ harassments, physical beating by clients | ||
| Coping strategy | Coping strategy to avert harm/violence | (5) How do you practice safe sex to avoid harm from your clients? |
| (6) How do you mitigate arrest by police? | ||
| (a) Probe: for negotiation, payment of unofficial fines, extending sexual favors | ||
| (a) Probe: safety nets in case of challenges- financial, health, criminal, etc.? | ||
| Sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) | (7) Have you been assaulted or experienced stigmatization due to your job? | |
| (a) Probe: for other people known who have had similar experiences | ||
| (8) Please describe your experiences of being assaulted or receiving negative or stigmatizing comments (narrate specific experiences) | ||
| (a) Probe: What was your response? How did you handle these? | ||
| (b) Probe: what type of services did you seek after the assault? | ||
| Places and context in which violence occurs | (9) Could you tell me what usually causes disagreement or violence between you and your clients? | |
| (a) Probe: provide instances (narrative) | ||
| (10). When you experience violence/harm from your clients, where does it usually happen? | ||
| (a) Probe: in the hotel room, in the car, in the bar? | ||
| Influence of societal pressure | (11) Could you tell me how people relate with you and describe your relationship with other people? | |
| (12) Are there times when people abuse you (verbally, discriminate or harm) because of work related identity? | ||
| (10) Please could you share yours or others’ experiences of stigmatization with services like health care providers or the police? |