This qualitative study examined how gender norms shape provider–client interactions in HIV care in central Uganda (2020), using 7 focus group discussions and 16 key informant interviews with 57 participants (clients with HIV, health/lay workers, community members, and health system experts).
Gender norms were central to treatment compliance and communication dynamics: men resisted direction from women providers, were seen as rude but direct, while women were viewed as compliant 'good patients' yet judged as dishonest if they had not disclosed their HIV status. Shared decision-making was limited for both sexes, and structural barriers (time constraints, scarcity of male providers) prevented gender-sensitive care.
- Qualitative design from a single region of Uganda limits generalizability. - Findings rely on self-reported perceptions, introducing social desirability bias. - The study was conducted in 2020; health system context may have shifted since.
Providers should receive gender-sensitivity training to build empathy and patient-centered communication skills for both male and female clients. Gender-transformative community programs—engaging leaders, partners, and people living with HIV—can help address barriers that keep men and women from staying in HIV care.
