Barriers to Condom Use Among Female Sex Workers in Tehran, Iran: A Qualitative Study

Figures & data

Table 1 Interview Questions

Number	Questions
1	Do you want your partner to use a condom? If not, why?
2	Can condom use affect your relationship with your partner? Explain it
3	If you want to use condoms, can you provide it easily? Explain it
4	What makes you reluctant to use a condom?
5	Are not you afraid of getting HIV if you do not use condoms?
6	What do you think about AIDS?
7	Does the type of relationship you have with your customers affect the use or non-use of condoms? Explain it

Table 2 Demographic Information of Participants

Variables	Dimension	N (%)
Age	<25	7 (31.81)
	25–40	10 (45.45)
	>40	5(22.72)
Condom use	Never	4 (18.18)
	Very little	10 (45.45)
	Low	6 (27.27)
	Much	2 (9.09)
Duration of sex worker	<5	10 (45.45)
	5–10	8 (36.36)
	>10	4 (18.18)
Number of relationships a week	1–3	8 (36.36)
	4–6	9 (40.90)
	+6	5 (22.72)
HIV infection	Yes	6 (27.27)
	No	16 (72.72)

Table 3 Categories, Sub-Categories and Codes

Categories	Sub-Categories	Codes
Individual factors	Not knowing HIV/AIDS properly	Lack of enough knowledge about AIDS, optimism about clients because my clients are highborn so they do not have HIV, a stylish client does not have HIV, HIV patients die very soon
	Opposition to loyalty and love	Using condoms is a sign of lack of intimacy, not using a condom is a sign of love and using it shows distrust
	Personality characteristics	Disappointed about future, be risky in sex, Drug abuse, Fatalism
Structural factors	Partner’s desire	Partner’s violence, Partner’s consent, Fear of partner’s bad response
	Problems with condom availability	Condoms are expensive, scarcity of condoms, limited access to good condoms
Cultural factors	Cultural taboos	Difficulty of talking about condoms, feeling embarrassed to get condoms, bad behavior of pharmacies and drugstores staff
	Following the models	Lack of condom use in porn videos, not being used among friends, not being used in marriage and romance