Introduction
Women engaged in sex work (WESW) bear the greatest burden of HIV globally [The unmet HIV prevention and treatment needs within sex work significantly contribute to overall HIV transmission [While strategies to expand HIV prevention and treatment services could have a considerable impact on the spread of HIV among WESW, the effectiveness of these strategies depend on the extent to which sex workers engage in these programs. Studies have examined the barriers and facilitators for engaging in HIV care and treatment services, including HIV testing and counseling, linkage to HIV care, and treatment adherence [Location and adequacy of facilities providing health care also impact access to care. Mixed findings have been reported with some women expressing a preference for closer facilities to save time and transportation [Affordability of services, including fees for services, transport, and other costs also determine access and use of health services. Scorgie and colleagues found that women were four times more likely to go for services if they were offered at a low cost or free [While there are studies examining barriers and facilitators to WESW’s access and use of health services related to HIV testing and counseling, and HIV treatment, there is limited research on the acceptability and appropriateness of comprehensive HIV prevention interventions that specifically target WESW, apart from studies that examine the acceptability of specific HIV risk reduction strategies, such as PrEP or condom use among this population [In this article, we examine WESW’s perspectives on the acceptability and appropriateness of the HIV risk reduction component of a combination intervention delivered in communities in southwest Uganda as these perspectives are critical in ensuring the sustainment and scalability of these interventions.