Additional file 1. Presentation of qualitative data with themes and sub-themes by catego ry of

children

Abandoned children Children living on street with Children working on

family street and returning to

family at night

Theme 1: Knowledge on STIs/HIV

Sub-theme: Knowledge about STIs and HIV/AIDS

Name of STDs Itching, soreness Itching, soreness Itching

Transmission Through sex act, taking Through sex act, taking Through sex act, taking

injecting drug, through injecting drug, washing injecting drug, through

mothers to child, through kitchen materials with mothers to child

blood transfusion, having polluted water

food in a common plate,

using a common tooth, brush

together, kissing

Sub-theme: Knowledge about condom-use

What is condom Potka Potka Potka

Child’s playing materials Child’s playing materials Child’s playing materials

Where available Pharmacy ,shop, open fields Dustbins, drains, open fields, Pharmacy, dustbins,

pharmacy/shop drains, health worker

(condom apa),

sex worker, shop

Usefulness Sexual intercourse, prevent Sexual intercourse, prevent Sexual intercourse, pregnancy, prevent disease, pregnancy, prevent disease, prevent pregnancy,

easy to have sex easy to have sex prevent disease

Sources of Peers, health worker Peers, sex workers, health Peers, health worker information (Condom Apa) worker (Condom Apa) (Condom Apa), DIC staff,

relatives DIC staff

Theme 2: Risky and other behaviours

Sub-theme: Sexual behavior

Type of sex Vaginal, anal, oral Vaginal, anal, oral Vaginal, anal, oral

Sexual partners Adult street people, peers, Adult street people, peers, Peers, Hijra, street-

vendors, drivers/helpers, sex worker/Hijra, street Hijra, sex workers, local sex workers, security vendors, koolis, mastan, relatives guards, police driver/helpers, rickshaw-

pullers

Sub-theme: Use of condom

Cause of not Less pleasure, bigger size Less pleasure, bigger size Less pleasure, bigger size using condom

Sub-theme: Healthcare-seeking behavior

Types of Fever/cold/cough, Fever/cold/cough,typhoid Fever/cold/cough, sickness that sore/ulcer,typhoid, sore/ulcer, dirrehoea, typhoid, sore/ulcer, street children dirrehoea, itching, dirrhoea, abdominal itching, abdominal suffered abdominal pain/headache, pain/headache, jaundice, pain/headache,

anaemia conjunctivitis jaundice ,conjunctivitis,

injured in anal and virginal

route, asthma, dog bite,

white discharge

Behaviour Did nothing (wait for natural Did nothing (wait for natural Did nothing (wait for regarding cure) cure) natural cure) healthcare- seeking

Places of Visited local pharmacies, Visited local pharmacies, Visited local pharmacies, treatment NGO clinic, hospital, NGO clinic, hospital, icddr,b NGO clinic, hospital, icddr,b icddr,b hospital hospital hospital,

traditional healers (herbalist,

spiritualist)

Sub-Theme: Drug abuse

Types of drug Dandy, Ganja, Chakki, Heroin Dandy, Ganja, Chakki Dandy, Ganja, Chakki used by street- Injection children

Way of being Instigated by peers, friends, Instigated by peers, friends, Instigated by peers, addicted adult males, drivers/helpers, adult males, drivers/helpers, friends, adult males,

local big brothers local big brothers drivers/helpers, local big

brothers Sub-Theme: Injecting drugs

Way of being Peers/Friends addicted

Preferred part Vein, muscles of body

Theme 3: Living conditions

Sub-Theme: Mental harassment

Type of Mental, physical, sexual, Mental, physical, sexual, Mental, physical, sexual, harassment economic economic economic

Harassment by Employers, police/guards, Employers, police/guards, Employers, police/guards,

passersby, aged people, passersby, aged people, passersby, aged people,

peers, nastans, vangari peers, nastans, vangari peers, nastans, vangari

dokanders, aged drug- dokanders, aged drug- dokanders, aged drug-

addicted people, ricksha- addicted people, ricksha- addicted people, ricksha-

pullers, DIC staff, pullers, DIC staff, pullers, DIC staff,

labourer (kooli), vegetable labourer (kooli), vegetable labourer (kooli),

hawkers, drivers/helpers hawkers, drivers/helpers vegetable hawkers,

drivers/helpers

Sub-Theme: Threats of violence

Type of threats Sexually harassed /raped Sexually harassed /Raped Sexually harassed

/Raped

Raped by Adult street- dwellers, Peers Adult street- dwellers, Peers Adult street- dwellers,

Peers Employers, Mastans, Employers, Mastans, Divers/helpers, Divers/helpers, Guards/Ansars Employers, Mastans,

Guards/Ansars Divers/helpers, Brokers/Pip, Shopkeepers Guards/Ansars Brokers/Pip, Shopkeepers NGO staff, Rickshaw puller Brokers/Pip, Shopkeepers NGO staff, Rickshaw puller

NGO staff, Rickshaw

puller

Sub-Theme: Activities at leisure time

Spending leisure Peers, adult males/females Peers Peers time with

Leisure place Airport, mazar, park, cinema Mazar, park, cinema hall, Mazar, park. cinema hall,

hall, zoo , DIC, station, zoo . station, zoo , station, stadium employer’s house video shop DIC. lonely place, local shop

Activities during Watching movie,watching TV, Watching movie,watching TV, Watching movie, leisure singing/dancing, playng playng carom, loudu, video Watching TV, games,

carom, loudu, video games, games, choti (pornography), video games, choti choti (pornography), taking taking drug, (pornography), taking drug, swimming games( Naikka muttia, cricket, drug

boici, etc)