Table 3.

Selected Quotations from Participants Explaining Their Preferences Among the Four Health States

Two Groups of Participants	Selected Quotations
Participants who preferred daily oral treatment over injections every two months	“It is the inconvenience and pressure of appointment time and time off [required with the injection]. In my line of work that isn’t feasible.” “It’s a hassle to visit the clinic [for the injection]. Now I only visit the clinic once each year. The tablet gives me more flexibility than the injection.” “Tablets don’t interfere with my current lifestyle, and I don’t have trouble remembering them.” “With the tablets you don’t have to go to as many clinic appointments.” “There is pain with the injections. Getting into the clinic is very inconvenient and you have to go in often.” “The injections are unfamiliar. I have some fear of the unknown. I’ve never even heard of that [i.e., the injections]. I’d want to hear from peers that try it first.” “I take my tablets daily with my vitamins and it is easy.” “I’m traumatized by injections. That’s how scared I am. I just fear injections.” “Main objection to the injections is the time to get to the clinic. It would take 2 hours out of my day. I see the appeal of the injections, but the period in between would need to be longer for me.” “I hate needles. That’s a major issue for me. Especially stuff going in. Blood draws are bad enough, but injections are hell.” “Also, my clinic is in [location] and it is quite far away, so it isn’t convenient to go in every 2 months [for injections].” “I wouldn’t want to have to rely on getting to the clinic because I do international traveling.” “Arranging time off work to get the injections would be a pain.” “It is simply more convenient for me to take daily tablets than worry about making hospital appointments. Tablets are something I know I can do and fit into my routine.”
Participants who preferred injections every two months over daily oral treatment	“With daily [oral] treatment, there’s always a risk of missing a dose.” “The injectables are less to think about. I used to struggle with remembering to take my tablets.” “[I] prefer not to have medication every day.” “Sometimes the tablet is a daily reminder that you’re HIV positive. The injections would be just like a regular check-up. People would not know the appointment was for HIV, like if you don’t want to disclose at work.” “Seems a lot more convenient to have the injection less frequently than the tablets.” “I am bad at taking my meds at the same time every day.” “Injectables are easy to schedule.” “The clinic appointments wouldn’t be as intrusive as daily oral medication.” “Injections would be a lot easier. I wouldn’t have to worry about tablets. I hate taking tablets. I’m so anti-tablet. They remind me every day that I have HIV.” “I’m very used to injections and have no problem with them whatsoever.” “I’ve been on tablets for 15 years and sometimes I forget them which causes anxiety. And the daily reminder isn’t nice.” “I do a lot of traveling; I would love not having to take meds with me. There are a lot of countries that ban the medications.” “I like the idea of life without tablets.” “I don’t mind injections especially if it meant I wouldn’t have to take tablets anymore.” “I am less likely to forget. When you invite people over and they snoop, they won’t find anything.” “I’m a nightmare taking tablets. It’s really hard for me, plus I forget.” “I like the idea of the injection. Sometimes I forget my medication when I stay over at my dad’s.”