3 Negotiation ability
Do you use condoms with everyone you have sex with?
Won’t you lose business if you insist on using condoms?
If yes, why do you insist?
Have there been instances where you have not been able to use condoms? Enumerate some of those instances.
Do you feel confident to deal with situations where you are forced to have sex with condoms?
What gives you the confidence?
Have you been forced to or had to give free sex in any instance?
If yes, what are those instances?
Are you able to deal with such situations? How?
Do you feel confident that you can deal with situations where you are forced to give free sex?
What gives you that confidence?
Who decides on the rate for your service?
If you do, how is it done?
Economic dependence
What is your main source of livelihood?
Is that sufficient to meet all your needs – personal and family?
What do you do when it’s insufficient?
Do you borrow money?
Where do you borrow money from? From whom all do you borrow money from?
Are you always able to repay in time?
What happens in situations where you are unable to repay?
Are there any other sources of income? What are they?
If yes, do they help you personally and professionally? How?
Do you think it’s better to earn money than waste time visiting clinics?
4 Economic dependence
What is your main source of livelihood?
Is there any other work that you do in addition to sex work?
Is that sufficient to meet all your needs – personal and family?
What do you do when it’s insufficient?
Do you borrow money?
Where do you borrow money from? From whom all do you borrow money from?
Are you always able to repay in time?
What happens in situations where you are unable to repay?
Are there any other sources of income? What are they?
If yes, do they help you personally and professionally? How?
Do you have control (decide on its usage) over your own money?
Do you think you should take care of your health?
Why?
Is it your responsibility or someone else’s?
Self esteem
How would you describe yourself?
Why do you describe yourself on that basis?
How do others describe you?
What basis do they describe you in that manner?
What do you think about yourself?
(Immoral, bad character, guilty, lower status) How do others treat you?
(Family, general population, own community) Do people around you know that you are a sex worker?
What do you do if others abuse you – physically, verbally?
Why shouldn’t they abuse you?
Do you think you have a right to lead a dignified life? Why?
5 Self esteem
How would you describe yourself?
Why do you describe yourself on that basis?
How do others describe you?
What basis do they describe you in that manner?
What do you think about yourself?
Do you think you have a right to lead a dignified life?
Why?
Do you feel shy or scared to say that you are a sex worker? If yes, why?
Do you think you have a right to say no to sex without condoms? Why?
Stigma
Do you feel shy or scared to say that you are a sex worker? If yes, why?
Do family, local community/friends know that you are a sex worker?
Do they mistreat you because of that?
How do you deal/cope with such situations?
Do your family/neighbours/friends know that you visit clinics?
If no, are you scared of them getting to know about it? Why?
Are you scared or shy to visit clinics?
Are you scared of your peers knowing that you visit clinics?
What about it scares you?
Do you fear being shunned by the community/
family if they come to know about it?
If yes, then why do you go to the clinic?
6 Presence of violence & fear
Do you fear being physically assaulted by your clients/partners/lovers/husbands?
How often are you subject to physical assault?
Do you fear being sexually assaulted? Who assaults you physically?
What are the reasons for which you are physically and sexually assaulted?
Does anyone other than lovers, clients, partners, and husbands assault you physically and sexually? Who?
What is the nature of assaults that you are subjected to?
Do you think you can resist these?
Have you been able to resist these?
How have you been able to resist these?
Are you not scared of repercussions while resisting the assaults?
What factors give you the confidence to deal with them?
Fear of doctor
Do you go to the clinic?
Do you like going to the clinic?
What do you like or not like about it?
Do you go alone or does someone accompany you? If no, why don’t you go alone?
Do you feel comfortable meeting the doctor and the staff? What makes you comfortable or uncomfortable in the clinic?
How are you treated in the clinic?
Do you feel confident that you can deal with them if not treated well?
Do you feel confident that they will give you the right treatment?
Do you think they will not treat you well because you are a sex worker?
Can you enumerate such instances? What factors helped you deal with such situations?