Table 3. Men’s descriptions of perceived facilitators to attending prenatal care to receive HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT).

INDIVIDUAL	Need/Desire for Reassurance
	I1: I thought it [being offered HIV testing] was good, because it’s something you don’t expect. Maybe there is an affair and people will never know until they take it. Because it’s not written in anybody’s forehead, so I believe preventing is the best way. I think everybody should do it. (20 yo, received HIV VCT during prenatal care)
	To prevent transmission and obtain treatment
	I2: I think it’s important, even if it makes you feel insecure. If you have unprotected sex. It’s important to have control over the situation. You take the test and find out; even for future relationships. Maybe you have a child and don’t transmit it. (27 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
	Knowledge of HIV Disease and PMTCT strategies
	I3: It’s an acquired immunodeficiency. It kills the white cells in your body. It doesn’t kill you, but it has symptoms, but other diseases can kill you and the transmission methods are through body fluids. (29 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
	I4: I know the mother can carry the virus, and don’t pass it along to the child, if she takes the medication. I know there is a medication that decreases the odds of transmission to 4%, but it’s not cleared, which is a shame. (37 yo, attended prenatal care, was not offered HIV VCT)
	Knowing someone with HIV
	I5: I`ve met two of my friends mothers. They both have passed away from HIV. Seems like their husband carried it and they had no idea and they both ended up getting it. (26 yo, received HIV VCT during prenatal care)
	History of being in a perceived high risk situation
	I6: When I was a cocaine addict, we always shared the straw, sometimes people had nosebleeds and it got in the straw. Even so we all shared the bloody straw, but I never worried about that back then. (33 yo, prenatal care, not offered HIV VCT)
	I7: It was when I got gonorrhea, that I thought I had it. Then one day speaking to a female coworker who is friends with the girl I had sexual relations; and she told me she had HIV, but I thought that she could have been contaminated after our sexual relations. (18 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
RELATIONSHIP	Positive and Communicative Relationship with Partner
	R1: There isn’t something I don’t feel comfortable telling her. We get along really well, we share the same ideas. (24 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
	R2: If I said to you that it’s [relationship] perfect, will you believe me? She gave me a boy. Then she gave me my younger girl. She is 2 years old, my sweetheart. And now she gave one more boy. I’m completely crazy about her! (25 yo, received HIV VCT during prenatal care)
	Planned pregnancy
	R3: We had it all planned, everything was programmed, and we were about 4 or 5 months in the process of trying, that she has already stopped taking the pill. We were even frustrated, every time her menstrual cycle was late, she would take the test and it would come negative and we got even more frustrated. Then I even started doubting my own ability to conceive a child, because many people told me, even my mom, not to be offensive, but she wondered if I could, because I was married to the other and didn’t have children with her too. Of course we didn’t try, but that still wondered in my head. Then when she was examined, about 5 or 6 months in the process of trying, the result came positive, I had tears falling on my eye, I was so happy. (32 yo, attended prenatal care, not offered HIV VCT)
	Concerns about the health of the wife/baby during pregnancy
	R4: I was only worried if it would be born healthy, that it didn`t have conditions, like Down syndrome. I wanted it to be born with well-formed organs and all that. (26 yo, received HIV VCT during prenatal care)
	R5: I think only about the Zika virus, because I believe they should have tested it. Because yesterday, coming here, I was talking to a neighbor of mine, mother of some friends who grew up with me. Her son was going to become a father but they did the test and the child had that microcephaly, right? And she was two months pregnant, then the father issued a process, to have an abortion, all legal and right. That is why I came and asked her [his wife] because I thought she had done it. (32 yo, received HIV VCT during prenatal care)
	Desire to learn more about being a father
	R6: I think it’s important for the man to be present, to learn stuff even, some things we just don’t know. I am a first time father and I don’t know much about it, I have a sister who is as old as my stepson, but I didn’t live with her… so it’s all new to me. (22 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
	Perception that attendance at prenatal care is important as a “father”
	R7: The father who doesn’t attend is an idiot, it’s his child there, there is no reason not to go. (23 yo, received HIV VCT during prenatal care)
	R8: It could be important for the father to be present at those times, which are important for both the baby and the mother. The presence of the father is important then. The father is the father and I think it’s important for the father to attend, (24 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
	Invested in assisting wife and/or child through pregnancy since woman is “different”
	R9: I believe that the presence of the man in prenatal care is more psychological related, you show your wife you are there, accompanying her, and she and the pregnancy are important to you. Even more because she will be emotional. Plus the HIV test gives you stability that you are not cheating, didn’t screw up. (43 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
	R10:It should be mandatory, because if the wife is pregnant, the man many times is much more indecent at this time, because the woman is a little bit different. I believe it to be important, especially for the kid. (34 yo, received HIV VCT during prenatal care)
SYSTEM	Positive experience receiving HIV test
	S1: Half an hour, just the time to take the test, applied the fingers, drew blood, and it was done…really simple. Very quick and easy. That’s why I think everybody should do it. It doesn’t take long and you get the result there and then. (20 yo, received HIV VCT during prenatal care)
	Receiving a “certificate” to excuse work absence or making attendance mandatory
	S2: I think the health units should make it mandatory, but not all mothers have partners, but when the father is present, he would have to take it. It doesn’t have to be all the consultations, but some could be pre established that the father should attend. (34 yo, attended prenatal care but was not offered HIV VCT)
	S3: For the health unit to offer a leave of absence for workers, and also requesting the wife to invite their partners, saying it’s important for the pregnancy. (27 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
	Offering HIV VCT at an alternate time
	S4: Many can’t attend at the consultation time, because of work, but an alternative schedule that doesn’t match work time, it can help. (32 yo, attended prenatal care, was not offered HIV VCT)
	Offering HIV VCT testing at alternate site
	S5: Yes, if they were around a park, and there are some people testing for it. I think that 30 or 40% would stop to get tested, which is a bigger statistic than the one of people who goes to hospitals and health units to get tested. (28 yo, attended prenatal care, was not offered HIV VCT)
	Non-needle options for testing
	S6: It would make it much easier, I am afraid of needles; if it was done with saliva I would do it every month! (33 yo, attended prenatal care, was not offered HIV VCT)
	Expand services provided during prenatal care
	S7: I think some orientation would be good, I think mothers come with a natural gift to take care, but men are clumsier. (29 yo, did not attend prenatal care)
	S8: For the man I’d say the HIV and other STDs test, some orientation maybe. You go to prenatal and people stare at you wondering why you are there, it’s not natural. (28 yo, attended prenatal care, but not offered HIV VCT)
	S9: I think that along prenatal care there should be a psychological service, the relationship changes a lot during pregnancy, some couples have more fights, financial issues, but the child has nothing to do with that. This should serve both father and mother during prenatal care. (34 yo, attended prenatal care, but not offered HIV VCT)