ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2025
Barriers to seeking healthcare services and contributing factors to grade 2 disability among women affected by leprosy in Telangana, India - a qualitative study.
Article in International journal for equity in health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Delayed diagnosis as a barrier to Zero Leprosy: Lived experiences from Pakistan.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLeprosy, a neglected tropical disease, remains a significant global health issue, with India accounting for nearly 60% of cases in 2022. Untreated Leprosy can result in irreversible disabilities and lead to social stigma, significantly affecting the lives of patients and their families. This study explores the barriers faced by women with leprosy in accessing healthcare and other factors that contributed to the development of Grade 2 disability in India.
methodsQualitative data were gathered through 20 interviews with women affected by leprosy at the Sivananda Rehabilitation Home, a leprosy clinic in Hyderabad, India. An interview guide was developed to conduct semi-structured interviews, specifically regarding the time between the onset of symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment start. An inductive analysis followed by the application of Levesque et al.’s framework was undertaken to identify themes and patterns in the participants’ experiences with the disease and treatment.
resultsSix key themes were identified. The social environment plays a pivotal role in disease progression, with participants often prioritising societal expectations over their own health, such as being good wives and mothers. Stigmatisation led to social isolation, as many women avoided contact outside their families to hide deformities. Most participants visited several healthcare facilities before receiving a diagnosis, facing financial and emotional burdens. Communication gaps were evident both within healthcare facilities - where companions were sometimes informed before the patient – and in their social environments. Finally, individual factors such as lack of knowledge, awareness, and trust in medical advice also contributed to care-seeking delays.
conclusionsThis study highlights significant gaps in healthcare access for women with leprosy in India. Family dynamics, societal roles, and stigma delay care, while physical and emotional burdens add to challenges. Communication gaps and limited awareness further reinforce neglect and mistrust. Addressing these barriers is crucial for effective policy and program implementation to reduce the burden of leprosy among women.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.