Table 2.

Summary of reported reasons why men did not attend clinic for syphilis treatment

Summary of Reasons reported why Men did not attend clinic for syphilis treatment
1.0 Individual Characteristics
1,1 Knowledge of Syphilis as Disease
• Ignorance
• Think women's treatment implied own treatment
• Men think syphilis is a women’s disease
1,2 Fear and Stigma
• Not ready to be associated with HIV.
• Fear of being arrested, due to unwanted pregnancy /illegal pregnancy
• Self-medication
• Fear of self and community stigma, Fear to be seen getting free treatment, would be laughed at
• Alternative medicines e.g. herbal usage
1,3 Work/Time Issues
• Very busy work schedule being an employee leaves little or no room to get away from workplace
• Non-disclosure at work place to seek permission to go to clinic
1,4 Communication and Sexual Relationship Issues
• Was not informed by wife.
• Men’s ego
• Blamed women for being promiscuous
• Women suffered from domestic violence and found difficulty in convincing men
• Unresolved marital conflicts
• Poor communication skills by women.
• Fear partner notification especially in polygamy
2.0 Characteristics of Disease
• Disease while asymptomatic, men don’t not see need to seek care /come to clinic
• Fear painful injection for syphilis treatment, Fear of injection some left clinic in fear
• Fear of cost of treatment
3.0 Characteristics of Health Services
3,1 Perceptions of Health Services
• Negative attitude towards public facilities ( prefer private clinic)
3.2 Capacity of Clinics
• Limited resources of care, crowding, slow services, Left the clinic due to long waiting time, yet had other work to do to earn a living, Was not screened before being asked to receive treatment
3.3 Accessibility
• Poor accessibility of the clinic, failed to locate it, Failure to locate clinic
• Getting a negative syphilis test from elsewhere (validation test).
• Fear of lack of drugs at facility/No trust in clinic to have needed drugs