Gendered experiences of people living with tuberculosis or leprosy: A global systematic review
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Classified as poverty-related diseases (PRD) leprosy and tuberculosis (TB) are long-standing mycobacterial diseases strongly linked to poverty, stigma, and social exclusion, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Gender norms further shape how individuals experience illness, access to care, and coping strategies, but evidence remains fragmented and largely disease-specific. This systematic review synthesizes qualitative evidence on lived experiences of people affected by TB or leprosy worldwide and compares gender inequities across both diseases to identify shared social and structural determinants.
METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed qualitative and mixed methods studies (1995-08/2025) reporting primary qualitative data on gendered experiences of people affected by TB or leprosy. Studies in all countries and languages were eligible. Screening and extraction were conducted using Rayyan. Inductive thematic synthesis was performed using MAXQDA. Quality was assessed using the CASP checklist. A total of 3204 records were identified, with 57 studies from 29 countries across five continents included. Across settings, women experienced greater barriers to diagnosis and care, more severe marital and familial consequences, higher stigma and social exclusion, and greater psychosocial burden than men. Men's experiences were shaped by norms of…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield. A case study in Eastern Zimbabwe
- Alarming situation of emerging H5 and H7 avian influenza and effective control strategies
- Livestock and food security: vulnerability to population growth and climate change
- Atmosphere–ocean oxygen and productivity dynamics during early animal radiations
- Characterization of the global distribution and diversified plasmid reservoirs of the colistin resistance gene mcr-9
- The global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.