Surveys

Our survey was designed to help us answer a number of related questions, primary among those:  

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1. Are sex workers impacted by Hands Off interventions less likely to contract HIV?  

2. Are sex workers impacted by Hands Off interventions less likely to experience violence or to experience fewer instances of violence? 

3. Do sex workers impacted by Hands Off interventions feel they have a wider range of helpful resources to draw on when they do experience violence?

4. Do sex workers impacted by HandsOff interventions feel more included in their respective communities and valued as human beings?

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In order to design an appropriate survey which allowed us to effectively address these questions, we developed our survey in conjunction with previous research undertaken by Aidsfonds and in collaboration with Aidsfonds, our partner organisations, and the sex worker community in each country. The survey instrument was written following statistical analyses of earlier data gathered in a previous stage of the Hands Off project and following analyses of the qualitative data. The survey instrument was also informed by the content of surveys designed to evaluate the results of Hands Off interventions with the police, healthcare workers, and community leaders. 

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Surveys were undertaken by peer researchers, who are sex workers with experience of outreach work and are therefore well practiced in reaching out to sex workers.The survey was designed to be delivered via Ona and taken on smartphones, which were provided to the peer researchers for the period of fieldwork. We also ensured that the peer researchers were provided with the mobile data credit necessary to undertake the surveys to ensure that they were not out-pocket. The same process will be undertaken in 2025. 

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Two working areas in each country were selected for research by the relevant partner organisation and research co-ordinator. Within these areas, a number of different methods were used to approach and recruit respondents for the surveys. Firstly, the research co-ordinator used their networks to approach and recruit respondents during interventions that are run as part of their programmes, through social media and Whatsapp networks. 

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Next, in order to recruit the necessary number of survey respondents, convenience and snowball sampling were conducted following the identification of initial participants. The identified participants then refered potential participants with whom they have direct contact. However, it is vital that the survey collected data from sex workers who both do and do not participate in these services and activities (in order to compare these two groups and assess the impact of the programme). As such, peer researchers, who are sex workers themselves, were also asked to engage with other sex workers and recruit them for the research. 

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To be included in the survey, participants must self-identify as currently working as a sex worker of any gender. Exclusion criteria includes being under 18 or not consenting to the survey.