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New Indian Journal of Surgery

Volume  2, Issue 4, October - December 2011, Pages 242-242
 

Original Article

Does Socio-Demographic Factors Influence Treatment Seeking Behaviour among Leprosy Patients?

Ashok Kanuri

Andhra Medical College,Visakhapatnam

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Abstract

 Leprosy is a disease, which still strikes fear in the societies as a mutilating, disfiguring, contagious and incurable disease. It is estimated that between 11 and 12 million people living in the world today have suffered from leprosy. Although most of that number will not now have active disease, for many the stigma of leprosy is still real and needs to be addressed. It is simply not enough for the medical profession and society to treat the disease and ignore the patient as a whole person. Many, despite their leprosy being dealt with, are still living a sub existence, mere shadows of their former selves and their true potentials. Leprosy mainly affects the skin and nerves; if untreated, there can be progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Humiliation and fear can prevent diagnosis and treatment, leading to more severe manifestations of the disease and causing deformities. Where social stigma persists, patients are compelled to hide their condition and avoid diagnosis, allowing a completely curable disease to worsen to the point of disfigurement. The AIIMS are to assess the sociodemographic factors and treatment seeking behaviour of leprosy patients attending out-patient, Department of Dermatology, K.G.H. in terms of age, sex, occupation, and place of seeking treatment, marital status and place of living. Study site is out-patient, Department of Dermatology, K.G.H, Study Period is 01-05-2011 to 31- 05-2011, Tools are Pre-tested questionnaire, Variables are Diagnosis of Leprosy, treatment seeking behaviour, follow up and Analysis will be done using percentages and no tests of significance are applied.


Corresponding Author : Ashok Kanuri