SYRACUSE JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND COMMERCE

This article outlines how victims of reproductive rights violations are generally unable to mount successful refugee or asylum claims because their claims do not fit into any current statutory ground for asylum. The author argues that both the international definition of refugee and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Act should be amended to recognize an additional ground of persecution on account of reproductive ability.

This article considers customary and statutory laws regulating cultural practices which have contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. During this discussion, the author focuses particularly on the negative impact of these laws for women. The article also assesses the potential of human rights law to address this epidemic and advocates for recognizing that the stigmatization of AIDS continues to play a negative role.