"They Call Us Amaphara (Junkies)": Intersectional Tuberculosis, Alcohol, and Drug Stigma in South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Stigma acts as a barrier to the diagnosis and effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Individuals with TB who also use alcohol or drugs (AODs), including methamphetamine, may experience intersectional stigma. Further, the nature and intensity of these intersecting stigmas may be compounded by co-morbidities like HIV and marginalized social status. Despite this, AOD use stigma has rarely been studied in the context of TB and other co-occurring conditions. We examined the perceptions and experiences of AOD use-related stigma among individuals who were previously diagnosed with TB or were at increased risk of TB based on their close contacts, in a rural community in the Western Cape, South Africa. We analyzed qualitative data collected by two studies (study 1: five focus groups (n=34), stud

SUBMITTER: Carney T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12900165 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature