{"id":124045,"date":"2026-04-13T15:34:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=124045"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:35:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:35:18","slug":"being-counted","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2026\/being-counted\/","title":{"rendered":"Being Counted: Women &#038; the AIDS Epidemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin record-block-editorial-leadin is-style-side-by-side has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-tertiary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"750\" height=\"750\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Aziza Ahmed\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-636x636.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-682x682.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-344x344.jpg 344w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-529x529.jpg 529w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-688x688.jpg 688w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-710x710.jpg 710w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2022\/10\/Aziza-Ahmed-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Gender and Law<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBeing Counted: Women &amp; the AIDS Epidemic\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Professor Aziza Ahmed\u2019s book documents the critical role that women played as activists for treatment and policy.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar record-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">April 13, 2026<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/authors\/sarah-awan-whelan\/\">Sarah Awan Whelan<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2026\/04\/9781108707213i-422x636.jpg\" alt=\"Book cover, &quot;Risk and Resistance: How Feminists Transformed the Law and Science of AIDS by Aziza Ahmed.&quot; Photograph of women shouting with protest signs over their heads.\" class=\"wp-image-124439\" width=\"317\" height=\"477\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/04\/9781108707213i-422x636.jpg 422w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/04\/9781108707213i-228x344.jpg 228w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/04\/9781108707213i-351x529.jpg 351w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/04\/9781108707213i.jpg 430w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 317px) 100vw, 317px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">As co-director of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/academics\/find-degrees-and-programs\/jd-program\/bu-program-on-reproductive-justice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Boston University&nbsp;Program on Reproductive Justice<\/a>, Professor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/aziza-ahmed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aziza Ahmed<\/a>\u2019s scholarship includes the examination of the intersection of law, politics, and science in the fields of constitutional law, criminal law, health law, and family law.&nbsp;Prior to teaching, Professor Ahmed&nbsp;received a&nbsp;Women\u2019s Law and Public Policy Fellowship&nbsp;to work&nbsp;with the&nbsp;International Community of Women Living with HIV\/AIDS.&nbsp;This experience also led&nbsp;her&nbsp;to serve as&nbsp;a member of the Technical Advisory Group on HIV and the Law&nbsp;convened&nbsp;by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Ahmed\u00a0has continued to research this confluence of topics, leading to her\u00a0most recent publication\u00a0this year,\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/us\/universitypress\/subjects\/law\/socio-legal-studies\/risk-and-resistance-how-feminists-transformed-law-and-science-aids\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/us\/universitypress\/subjects\/law\/socio-legal-studies\/risk-and-resistance-how-feminists-transformed-law-and-science-aids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Risk and Resistance: How Feminists Transformed the Law and Science of AIDS<\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0She\u00a0spoke with\u00a0<em>The Record<\/em>\u00a0about\u00a0how she discovered\u00a0a little-known chapter of the epidemic\u2019s history. Namely, that women\u00a0were not counted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a record-block-editorial-q-and-a has-secondary-theme\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-heading\">Q<span>&amp;<\/span>A<\/h2><h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-subheading\"><\/h4><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><em>The Record<\/em>: Before we get into the history itself, I would like to start with your own path. What first drew you to working on HIV and feminist activism?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">My interest really grew out of work I was doing with harm-reduction organizations in the early 2000s. At that time, I noticed there was a sharp divide among feminists about how to think about questions surrounding prostitution and sex work. Those disagreements were not just theoretical\u2014they shaped policy debates about public health, criminal law, and women\u2019s rights.<br><br>At the same time, I was working with organizations addressing HIV. What struck me was that the history of HIV is also a history of activism. I became interested in telling a story about the epidemic that included feminist activism as a central part of that history.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">You also spent time working internationally on HIV issues. How did those experiences shape your perspective?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">They were especially important. I worked with organizations in the Caribbean that were advocating for sexual health and HIV services for women. I also spent time in South Africa working with the Planned Parenthood Association there.<br><br>A lot of that work involved community organizing, working with young people, supporting advocacy around reproductive health, and building networks of women living with HIV. Being in those spaces showed me how much of the response to HIV was driven by grassroots organizing rather than institutions. Those experiences helped me understand how activists were shaping policy and public health practice from the ground up.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">At what point did you realize there was a larger historical story that needed to be told?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Originally, I was working on a project about activists advocating for women living with HIV. As I began researching it, I started digging into archives, things like meeting records, organizational documents, and activist publications.<br><br>What surprised me was how extensive those materials were. There was a whole movement organizing around women and HIV, but there was not a comprehensive history of it.<br><br>That realization changed the direction of my research. I began to see that the struggle to have women recognized within HIV policy and science was a major story that had never really been fully documented.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Why were women absent from the early narrative about HIV?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">A big part of it was perception. Early in the epidemic there was a widespread belief that HIV primarily affected gay men. That kind of thinking shaped research priorities, policy responses, and even medical knowledge.<br><br>As a result, the experiences of women were frequently overlooked. Research studies often focused on male patients, and diagnostic frameworks were built around symptoms that were more common among men. While women were present in the epidemic from the beginning, they were not always visible to the institutions responding to it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote record-block-bu-pullquote is-style- has-image-focus-center-middle has-tertiary-theme\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><figure><\/figure><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">&#8230; activists weren\u2019t just challenging policy. They were challenging the way scientific knowledge was being produced. They understood that if women were excluded from research, their needs would continue to be ignored in treatment and policy.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">Aziza Ahmed<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a record-block-editorial-q-and-a has-secondary-theme\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">One of the most critical issues you write about is the AIDS case definition. Could you explain what that was and why it mattered?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">The Centers for Disease Control created a list of specific conditions used to diagnose AIDS. If someone with HIV developed one of those conditions, they would receive an official AIDS diagnosis.<br><br>The problem was that many of the conditions on that list reflected symptoms that were common among men. Women often experienced different symptoms that weren\u2019t included.<br><br>This had enormous consequences because the case definition was not just a medical guideline\u2014it was also used to determine eligibility for government benefits and services. If a woman did not meet the official definition, she might not qualify for support even if she was extremely sick.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">In your work you describe science itself becoming a site of political struggle during the epidemic. What do you mean by that?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">During the AIDS crisis, many patients realized that the systems producing medical knowledge weren\u2019t fully capturing their experiences. Clinical trials, for example, had historically excluded women. Feminist activists began arguing that women\u2019s perspectives and experiences needed to be incorporated into research.<br><br>In that sense, activists weren\u2019t just challenging policy. They were challenging the way scientific knowledge was being produced. They understood that if women were excluded from research, their needs would continue to be ignored in treatment and policy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">How did activists ultimately push for a change in the AIDS case definition?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">The campaign brought together several different kinds of actors. Activists were paying close attention to how HIV was being discussed in medical and policy spaces.<br><br>At the same time, lawyers were seeing clients who were clearly very ill but could not qualify for benefits because they didn\u2019t meet the official definition of AIDS.<br><br>Those two perspectives converged. Activists documented patterns of exclusion, while legal advocates highlighted the practical consequences for patients. When they began coordinating their efforts, they were able to build enough pressure to push for changes in policy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Are there organizations that played a vital role in that movement but aren\u2019t as widely recognized today?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">There were many. One example is SisterLove in Atlanta, an organization led by Black women focusing on HIV in communities of color. Another is SisterSong, which works within the reproductive justice movement.<br><br>There were also organizations in New York that provided services for women living with HIV and advocated for policy change.<br><br>These groups were doing extraordinary work, but they\u2019re less visible in historical accounts because they weren\u2019t primarily operating through court cases. Much of their influence came through community organizing and advocacy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Your research also explores debates within feminism about sex work. How did those debates intersect with HIV policy?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Beginning in the 1980s, feminists were deeply divided about how to conceptualize sex work. Some argued for a sex-positive perspective that emphasized agency and supported harm-reduction strategies. Others believed prostitution was inherently exploitative and pushed for stronger criminalization.<br><br>Those debates had real consequences for HIV policy. Public-health programs found that working directly with sex workers, providing condoms and health education for example, was an effective way to reduce HIV transmission.<br><br>But critics argued that those approaches normalized prostitution. That disagreement shaped policies around HIV prevention, trafficking, and international funding programs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Looking at public health today, what learnings do you think we can draw from this history?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">One lesson is that social movements can play a productive role in improving public health institutions. During the AIDS crisis, activists pushed medical and policy systems to become more inclusive and responsive.<br><br>They challenged assumptions, expanded research, and helped create policies that better reflected patients\u2019 experiences. At the same time, the relationship between activism and science remains complicated. We\u2019re seeing that today in debates about vaccines and public health authority.<br><br>But the history of AIDS activism shows that organized advocacy can help institutions adapt and improve.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">After studying these movements so closely, how do you think about activism itself, especially women\u2019s activism?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">One of the most striking things is that many of the women involved didn\u2019t start out thinking of themselves as activists. They became involved because they were confronting urgent problems in their own lives and communities.<br><br>Their participation reshaped how we think about expertise, politics, and agency. It shows that activism often emerges from unexpected places, and that those voices can fundamentally change public policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-three record-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Professor Steven Dean and Professor Jonathan Feingold talking to one another while sitting on arm chairs.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-992x661.jpg 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-1984x1322.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2026\/01\/IMG_3344-3-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Tax Reform<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2026\/raceclass-with-steven-dean\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">#RaceClass with Steven Dean<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">January 29, 2026<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"600\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Ayodeji Perrin\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot-344x344.png 344w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot-529x529.png 529w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot-500x500.png 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot-550x550.png 550w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/07\/Ayodeji-Perrin-Headshot-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Social Change<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2026\/movements-and-hope\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Law, Movements, and the Fragility of Hope<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">March 9, 2026<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"4802\" height=\"6311\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Photo of Sapna Khatri in her office, leaning against a desk, with framed Reproductive Justice posters behind her.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049.jpg 4802w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-484x636.jpg 484w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-779x1024.jpg 779w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-768x1009.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1169x1536.jpg 1169w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1558x2048.jpg 1558w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-628x826.jpg 628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-519x682.jpg 519w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-785x1032.jpg 785w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1005x1321.jpg 1005w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-262x344.jpg 262w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-403x529.jpg 403w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-523x688.jpg 523w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-805x1058.jpg 805w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1038x1364.jpg 1038w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1257x1652.jpg 1257w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-1570x2064.jpg 1570w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-2010x2642.jpg 2010w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2025\/11\/25-1478-SAPNA-049-761x1000.jpg 761w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4802px) 100vw, 4802px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Reproductive Justice<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2025\/living-the-dream\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Living the Dream: Professor Sapna Khatri\u2019s Vision for Reproductive Justice<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">December 4, 2025<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As co-director of the\u00a0Boston University\u00a0Program on Reproductive Justice, Professor\u00a0Aziza Ahmed\u2019s scholarship includes the examination of the intersection of law, politics, and science in the fields of constitutional law, criminal law, health law, and family law.\u00a0Prior to teaching, Professor Ahmed\u00a0received a\u00a0Women\u2019s Law and Public Policy Fellowship\u00a0to work\u00a0with the\u00a0International Community of Women Living with HIV\/AIDS.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19416,"featured_media":96028,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Gender and 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