The interview Guide Time allowed: 1 ½ hours

Introduction – Moderator A. Welcome

Welcome and thank you for coming to this focus group. My name is Catherine Deiner and I am busy doing my Masters at Rhodes University in the Journalism Department.

Your thoughts and feelings around the topic we will discuss today are important and I appreciate what you have to say. I know that you are busy and I greatly appreciate you giving me some of your time. There are no right or wrong answers. I would like you to share your honest thoughts and stories with me. It does not matter if you think differently from someone else here, that is okay. I promise you that the information you share here will not be shared with others and I ask that everyone here does not share other participants’ comments with those outside the group.

I will ask some questions and show some videos for you to comment on.

B. Statement of the purpose of the interview

The purpose of this focus group interview is to find out the meanings that HIV

positive women who are taking ARVs make of HIV messaging in South African soap operas, specifically Isidingo and the comments made by both actors and celebrities from the show, and how this communication impacts on the ARV adherence of the viewers.

C. Guidelines to follow during the interview

There are a few guidelines I would like to ask you to follow during the interview.

Firstly, you do not need to speak in any particular order. You can speak whenever you have any thoughts or feelings on what is being discussed. Please share your thoughts as I would like to hear everyone in the group’s comments. Please do not speak while someone else is speaking as it will make it difficult for me to write out the interview afterwards. We do not all need to agree but we must let each person say what they feel and not try to make them change their mind. We are going to stick to an hour so I might stop you to ask other questions, please do not be offended. I may need to ask you to meet again if we do not get through everything today. You may ask me any questions at any stage. I will ask you to complete a questionnaire and to sign a consent form after it has been explained to your verbally. Thereafter I would like to get to know you all.

D. Consent

a. Verbal explanation of consent form

148 b. Signing of consent forms

c. Completion of standard questionnaire E. Permission to record all proceedings a. Seek permission to record all proceedings

b. Assure the participants of confidentiality and anonymous use of material F. Group Introductions

a. Introductions by participants

- Please tell us your name, how often you watch television and what your favourite TV programme is to watch

G. General Questions H. Show Isidingo clip

I’m going to show you a clip - 13:29-15:34

- 19:26-20:49

- What do you think of the message?

- If you had watched this now how would it make you adhere more or less to treatment?

- What is your impression of it?

- Do you remember watching it?

- What they find most and least interesting about Isidingo?

I. Show Letti interview - 15:08-16:45

- 24:08-29:57

- How does this interview make you feel?

- Do you think interviews like this are dangerous?

- With the advances that have been made in ARVs is this messaging a problem?

- How much influence does she have as a famous person or celebrity?

J. Soap Operas (specifically South African Soap Operas) and media consumption

- What soap operas do you watch every day?

- Reasons for watching --- every day? (is it the drama, glamour etc.)

- Why do they like ---.

- Why don’t they watch Isidingo every day?

K. Role Models for living positively and adhering to ARVs

149 - Who are good role models?

- Who encourages you to take ARVs?

L. Barriers to ARV adherence

- Why do you think some people stop taking ARVs?

- Your journey on ARVs?

- Have you always thought ARVs are the best way to treat HIV?

M. If you had one minute to talk to the Minister of Health about HIV and ARVs and why people stop using them, what would you tell him?

N. If you could make a TV program to encourage people to take their ARVs, would you make a Soap Opera like Isidingo with characters or would you make a program with real life celebrities who are HIV-positive? And why?

Q. P. Realism and The effects of HIV messaging by and from the role models from and in the media

- Do you connect more with real people who are living with HIV and taking ARVs?

- Do you connect more with characters playing an HIV-positive person who takes ARVs?

- Who do you listen to more?

- Are you aware when you are watching shows like Soul City that the show is giving you health information?

- How do you respond to this information?

- How do you respond to the information you get in soap operas like in Isidingo? Give an example?

R. Faith

S. Reactions to the story of the lady bringing a candle? (prompt)

T. I’m going to give a summary of everything that has been said today and then I will give you each a turn to tell me if I have left anything out and what the most important thing we have discussed today is. Is there anything that we should have talked about that we didn’t?

U. Closing statement

This is the first discussion in a series of groups like this. Do you have suggestions for how I can improve?

We have come to the end of the discussion. Allow me to remind you that the interview has been recorded and will be transcribed. You will be allocated different names for the transcription and data analysis in order that everything you have said

150 remains confidential. Thank you again for your time and honest responses. You have assisted me greatly in this research and I am deeply grateful. Enkosi.