Table 1 Structure of moderated focus groups

Introduction

5 minutes

• Basic introduction

HIV risk

25 minutes

• How do women choose sexual partners when they leave prison?

• What’s the goal for sex?

• Do women see the same men from before coming to prison?

• Do you think that they are good partners and what makes them so?

• Are they not so good? What makes them bad partners?

• Do you think women leaving prison use protection?

• Do you think women can talk to their men about whether other women are in the mix?

• Do you believe that woman have problems protecting themselves?

• What about male partners who are using drugs or drinking, is it hard for women to use protection then?

• Do you believe that women have problems protecting themselves when they use drugs?

• How do women get HIV?

• How can women protect themselves from HIV?

Condoms

20 minutes

• Why don’t women use condoms more?

• Can you make (condoms) sexy?

• Do you think women are afraid of partners being violent when women bring up condom use?

Sexual situations, safe sex and violence

30 minutes

• When women want to use protection but don’t, what gets in their way?

• When women are about to have sex, what emotions do they feel?

• Does have a supportive person in your life change how confident you feel asking a partner to use protection?

• What happens when women have had violence in their lives?

• Who controls sexual situations?

• themselves? How do women stay strong?

• What can women do to stay strong and empower

The end

10 minutes

• Summary