Table 2 Categories and Subcategories of the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of HIV/AIDS-related services in Iran

Mostly affected services

Reducing visits to centers for diagnostic tests

Reducing the access of service providers to patients and people at risk

Ways of the effect of COVID-19

Increasing high-risk behaviors of HIV in society

Delay in detecting PLWH

Increasing alcohol and drug use ceremonies instead of other entertainment

Dedicating the media to COVID-19

Allocation of resources to the COVID-19 department and lack of resources in the HIV department

Getting infected with COVID-19 and having unfavorable physical conditions and worsening the condition of HIV

Losing relationships with peer groups and friends

Loss of work and income of PLWH

Increasing the duration of drug storage for people

Providing door-to-door services by peer groups

Changing the consumption pattern to injections

Changing the pattern of drug use from group use to solitary use

Reducing high-risk sexual relations in the era of COVID-19

Healthcare systems reaction

Providing door-to-door services

Increasing the distance of people’s visits to receive harm reduction equipment

Increasing the distance between people’s visits to receive medicine and counseling

Effects on social inequality

Inequality in vaccine prioritization

Greater impact of COVID-19 on poor and vulnerable people

Opportunities created by the pandemic

Paying more attention to providing online services

Supplying HIV self-testing services

Suggestions for the future

Pay attention to self-test

Training employees about providing services in critical situations in the future