Hanseníase: revisão sistemática da literatura sobre o estigma vivenciado por seus portadores

Objective: To analyze the existence of correlation between the diagnosis of Leprosy and the experience of stigma suffered/perceived by the patient of the disease. Methods: Systematic literature review study, structured as proposed in the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, and the literary search was performed in the databases linked to the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), and Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS), using the descriptors in health sciences (DECS): Leprosy, Social Stigma and Prejudice. Results: eleven studies were selected for data analysis and discussion, according to identified search and selection criteria. Final considerations: The suspected and/or conformed diagnosis of leprosy brings to the individual great psychic suffering, either due to the unknowledge about the treatment and concept of the disease, as well as the stigma that still exists about the disease. Exclusion, prejudice, and social isolation of affected individuals and their families were excluded.