01680nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260003400042653002400076653002000100653001200120100001500132700001700147700002100164700001900185700001900204700001500223700001600238700001500254700001600269700001800285245012600303856012000429520084000549022002501389       2025                            d  bOxford University Press (OUP)10aSocial determinants10asex differences10aleprosy1 aBarreto JS1 aCazzaniga RA1 aBezerra-Santos M1 aAlbuquerque LF1 ade Oliveira DT1 aAraujo JMS1 ada Silva AM1 aSantos CNO1 ade Jesus AR1 aMagalhães LS00aMale sex is associated with a higher risk of multibacillary leprosy and leprosy-associated disability in northeast Brazil  uhttps://academic.oup.com/trstmh/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/trstmh/traf048/8129359?redirectedFrom=fulltext3 a<p><strong>Background:&nbsp;</strong>Leprosy remains a significant public health challenge despite diagnostic advances.</p>

<p><strong>Methods:</strong> This cross-sectional study evaluated the social and clinical characteristics of 302 patients treated at a reference outpatient clinic in northeastern Brazil (2010–2019).</p>

<p><strong>Results:</strong> Men more frequently presented with multibacillary disease and disabilities than women. These clinical characteristics in men were associated with higher rates of alcohol consumption and hunting. No evidence was found for an association between diagnostic delays and disease severity.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> This study underscores that social determinants may contribute to worse disease outcomes in men, highlighting the need for targeted policies.</p>
  a0035-9203, 1878-3503