Synopsis by Alice Day
Throughout history, people who suffered from leprosy were shunned by others, and frequently isolated in leper colonies where they had to care for themselves. In some countries, they were sterilized. The disease is more common in hot, humid areas, such as the tropics, although the U.S. has seen its share of cases. Treatment of American leprosy victims is documented in Secret People: The Naked Face of Leprosy in America, which covers the period between the 1920s and the 1950s. These individuals were forced to move to a leprosarium in Carville, LA, where they lost their right to vote and to have children.