Leprosy prevention law and healthcare professionals in Japan.

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.