Family Perspectives on Stigma Toward Women Who Use Drugs in Tanzania.
Haneefa T Saleem, Kathryn Noon, Chijindu Nwakama and 5 others
PMID 39778155WHAT IT FOUND
Family members of women using drugs in Tanzania saw people who use drugs as dangerous and blameworthy, especially when women seemed to fail motherhood roles, yet many wanted support and treatment.
Key findings
01All 19 family members said people with drug problems only had themselves to blame, while 84% thought people who use drugs were not given a fair chance and 89% thought many exaggerated their troubles to get sympathy.
02Most participants (79%) reported attitudes toward drug use differed by gender, describing women as facing harsher judgment and failure of femininity and motherhood expectations.
03Despite stigma, participants expressed empathy and asked for support, treatment, and rehabilitation, including methadone programs and sober houses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was 19 family members, so the themes cannot represent all Tanzanian families or the public. Participants were only family members of women who use drugs, not men, so attitudes toward men and families of men were not captured. The survey instrument was not formally validated in Tanzania, so percentage answers should be read cautiously. The study did not assess courtesy stigma, meaning how stigma affects family members themselves. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study with no intervention, so it cannot show what reduces stigma or improves care.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The article is supported by extramural NIH research funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these family members are only stigmatizing. They also expressed empathy and asked for treatment and support, and this small qualitative study did not test any intervention.