Women and leprosy: a review

Abstract

Summary Gender inequalities in health have a significant impact on women's health. In leprosy gender inequalities could be even more serious, as it is a highly stigmatized disease. A review has been made of the most recent literature dealing with gender and leprosy. First some data are presented on gender inequalities in rates of case detection, deformities and reversal reactions among leprosy patients. Then the major factors contributing to those differences are discussed. The paper ends with some recommendations for further research on gender and leprosy.Women's issues in health have, until recently, received little attention from health managers, policy makers and researchers. I There are, however, many gender inequalities in health which require due attention in health planning and management. Gender refers not only to sex, but also to the wide variety of social, cultural and economical variables attributed by social structures to men and women.2 Men and women experience differential health risks stemming from their social roles and expectations. Women may have a different exposure to disease and infection, and diseases may have a different impact on women, not only in a medical sense, but also in sociocultural and economical ways. Some diseases 'affect women particularly or exclusively, such.as reproductive health problems, and cervical and br�ast cancer. Other diseases affect both men and women, but have a different impact on wome ' such as nutritional morbidity, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and pelvic infections, and some tropical diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis and tuberculosis. 3 Information on how women are affected differently)s, however, still limited. WOIIJ.en may have less access to health services than men, they maybe treated differently to men, and diseases may manifest themselves differently in women, requiring a different treatment approach. Gender and leprosyIn some tropical diseases, such as filariasis, and leprosy, gender inequalities may play an even larger role, because of their effect on physical appearance and the social stigma associated with them.

The effect of leprosy-induced deformity on the nutritional status of index cases and their household members in rural South India: a socio-economic perspective

“…In this context it is relevant that unemployment and illiteracy, both present to a greater extent in females, were independent predictor variables for the increased risk of undernutrition in the index case. Our ®ndings of increased illiteracy and unemployment in female leprosy patients is similar to that reported in literature (Le Grand, 1997). Family anthropometry has been recognized as an important strategy for determining community nutrition (Dugdale, 1985).…”

“…Studies in rural Bangladesh have indicated that women consistently receive less of their energy requirements than either their children or their husbands (Kramer et al, 1997). This gender inequality is likely to be more pronounced in leprosy since women are believed to suffer the socio-cultural consequences of leprosy to a greater extent than men (Le Grand, 1997). It was our contention that the already disadvantaged woman in the household would be at further risk of undernutrition if she were not a wage earner.…”

Leprosy and women

“…This paper highlights the various aspects of leprosy in women in developing countries over the last few decades (Le grand, 1997), including prevalence, clinical features, complications, social aspects and treatment-related issues. It highlights that screening, treating, and rehabilitating women with leprosy is an important aspect of leprosy programs, and counseling women and their spouses and family members will go a long way in enabling female patients to return to their normal lives.…”

Uso do teste ML Flow em escolares diagnosticados com hanseníase no município de Paracatu, Minas Gerais

“…However, it should be noted that more girls were examined in the study (51.5%) and seropositivity can vary according to the endemy 9 . It is important to remember that adult women are known seek out health services more often, a fact that may favor greater access to health services and thus to early leprosy diagnosis 9 .…”