Summary Gender inequalities in health have a significant impact on women's health. In leprosy gender inequalities could be even more serious, as it is a highly stigmatized disease. A review has been made of the most recent literature dealing with gender and leprosy. First some data are presented on gender inequalities in rates of case detection, deformities and reversal reactions among leprosy patients. Then the major factors contributing to those differences are discussed. The paper ends with some recommendations for further research on gender and leprosy.Women's issues in health have, until recently, received little attention from health managers, policy makers and researchers. I There are, however, many gender inequalities in health which require due attention in health planning and management. Gender refers not only to sex, but also to the wide variety of social, cultural and economical variables attributed by social structures to men and women.2 Men and women experience differential health risks stemming from their social roles and expectations. Women may have a different exposure to disease and infection, and diseases may have a different impact on women, not only in a medical sense, but also in sociocultural and economical ways. Some diseases 'affect women particularly or exclusively, such.as reproductive health problems, and cervical and br�ast cancer. Other diseases affect both men and women, but have a different impact on wome ' such as nutritional morbidity, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and pelvic infections, and some tropical diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis and tuberculosis. 3 Information on how women are affected differently)s, however, still limited. WOIIJ.en may have less access to health services than men, they maybe treated differently to men, and diseases may manifest themselves differently in women, requiring a different treatment approach. Gender and leprosyIn some tropical diseases, such as filariasis, and leprosy, gender inequalities may play an even larger role, because of their effect on physical appearance and the social stigma associated with them.