01258nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653002100058653002600079653001700105653001100122653001000133653002500143653001200168100001100180245006600191300001000257490000600267520075300273022001401026       2002                            d  c2002 Summer10aHealth Personnel10aHistory, 20th Century10aHuman Rights10aHumans10aJapan10aLegislation, Medical10aleprosy1 aAoki Y00aLeprosy prevention law and healthcare professionals in Japan.  a68-740 v73 a<p>This article considers the issues surrounding leprosy, and focuses on the social stigma and mistreatment associated with the disease. In particular, the history of leprosy patients and leprosy-prevention law in Japan is examined in both a historical and social context. Matters related to infringement of human rights are also considered along with issues for nurses caring for patients with leprosy. Eugenics and its legal approval are then discussed, as is the abolition of the leprosy laws in Japan. Finally, the author argues that problems surrounding this infectious disease are not country-specific; nurses may be ignorant of the number of patients with this debilitating disease worldwide, and of the policies and laws surrounding it.</p>  a1360-1105