Table 1 Items included and excluded from FSW^a and MSM^b stigma metrics in Burkina Faso and Togo

Variable name

Question text

Police harassed

Have police ever harassed or intimidated you for being a sex worker?

Arrested

Were you ever arrested on charges related to sex work/ of homosexuality [or other related charge]?

Verbally harassed

Have you ever been verbally harassed and felt it was because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Blackmailed

Have you ever been blackmailed by someone because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Physically abused

Have you ever been physically aggressed (pushed, shoved; slapped; hit; kicked; choked; or otherwise physically hurt)? Do you believe any of these experience(s) of physical violence was/were related to the fact that you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Tortured

Have you ever been tortured by someone? If yes, do you believe this was because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Forced sex

Have you ever been forced to have sex when you did not want to? (By forced, I mean physically forced, coerced to have sex, or penetrated with an object, when you did not want to). Do you believe any of these experiences of sexual violence were related to the fact that you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Denied care

Have you ever been denied health services (or someone kept you from receiving health services) because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Not treated well

Have you ever felt that you were not treated well in a health center because you sell sex/ someone knew that you have sex with men?

Health workers gossiped

Have you ever heard healthcare providers gossiping about you because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Difficulties

Have you ever had difficulties in accessing healthcare services because you have sex with men?

Afraid to seek care

Have you ever felt afraid to go to healthcare services because you worry someone may learn you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Avoided care

Have you ever avoided going to healthcare services because you worry someone may learn you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Family excluded

Have you ever felt excluded from family gatherings because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Family gossiped

Have you ever felt that family members have made discriminatory remarks or gossiped about you because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Friends rejected

Have you ever felt rejected by your friends because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Police refused

Have you ever felt that the police refused to protect you because you sell sex/ have sex with men?

Avoided carrying condoms

Have you ever avoided carrying condoms because you were afraid that they might get you in trouble with the police?

Police confiscated

Has a police officer ever taken condoms away from you, thrown them on the ground or in the garbage?

Witnessed confiscation

Have you ever witnessed (i.e. seen) police confiscating or destroying condoms held by a sex worker or outreach worker?

Heard about confiscation

Have you ever heard about incidents when police confiscated or destroyed condoms held by other sex workers or by outreach workers?

Question

Reason for excluding

 Have you ever lost employment or been dismissed from a job (other than sex work) because you sell sex?

Many participants answered “not applicable”; did not load strongly on any factor

 Have you ever been denied educational opportunities, like access to school, because you sell sex?

Many participants answered “not applicable”; did not load strongly on any factor

 Have you ever had difficulties in accessing healthcare services because you sell sex?

High uniqueness; did not load on any factor in multiple datasets

 Have you ever been tested for HIV when you did not want to or did not give permission? If yes, were you forced or pressured to test for HIV because you sell sex?

Very rare (9 people in all cities combined)

 Have you ever refused to take condoms from an outreach worker because you were afraid they might get you in trouble with the police?

Very rare (17 total in all cities combined)

 Have you ever felt scared to walk around in public places because you sell sex?

Did not load on any factor; may be measuring something other than stigma

 Have you ever lost employment or been dismissed from a job because you have sex with men?

Loaded on a different factor in every city

 Have you ever been denied educational or training opportunities, like access to school, because you have sex with men?

Rare (10 people or less per city); did not load on any factors; lowered the Cronbach’s alpha of the metric

 Has anyone ever said discriminatory things about homosexuality in your presence without knowing you have sex with other men?

Did not load on any factors; lowered the Cronbach’s alpha

 Have you ever been tested for HIV when you did not want to or did not give permission? If yes, were you forced or pressured to test for HIV because you have sex with men?

Very rare (only 8 people in all cities combined)