Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are diseases that still pose a threat to all parts of the world, particularly in less economically developed regions. However, it continues to be a problem in many high-income countries. The epidemiological picture in Spain offers an interesting case study for analysis to answer whether local interventions to confront HIV transmission, morbidity, and mortality are more effective than solely national or international efforts to reduce the effects of the disease. In this thesis, I rely on qualitative data in the form of key informant interviews and field notes collected in Barcelona, Spain, to demonstrate the significant role that grassroots organizations play in combating HIV in the Spanish context. CheckPoint Barcelona and ACATHI are two organizations in Barcelona, Spain that seek to improve such outcomes by directly providing support for communities at risk of poor outcomes after a late diagnosis of HIV and of contracting HIV in general. I find that local, non-governmental organizations are the driving force in combating HIV in Spain through three approaches: biomedical interventions, education and prevention initiatives, and social support for affected communities. Collectively, these findings suggest that non-governmental organizations, like ACATHI and CheckPoint should be supported to continue achieving desired HIV objectives.

This paper analyzes the r/fakedisordercringe subreddit to better understand the purpose of the server as it relates to socially gatekeeping disability, or determining who is legitimately disabled. A mixed-methods analysis is employed using communications, sociology, and psychology theoretical frameworks. Implications discuss disability visibility and other conditions affecting treatment of people with disabilities.

Policy trends show that pregnant women have been detained in ICE facilities since as early as 2015. As the laws and policies have continued to shift, pregnant women have become more exposed to being detained. Executive Order 13768 made by former President Donald Trump effectively removed all protections against being detained for pregnant women. While the previous policy exempted pregnant women from being detained aside from in extraordinary cases, this executive order puts women at increased risk of being detained while pregnant. The Trump Administration's goal of protecting the American people and promoting national security puts women in a position in which their health status is no longer seen as a detention exemption. There is almost no published work on this topic. It is extremely under-researched and there is an urgent need for more academic, legal, and medical research on the impacts of detaining pregnant women. This paper functions to fill a very pressing research gap in order to highlight the experiences of pregnant women in detention centers and the health outcomes they face as a result of their status as detainees. I argue that detaining pregnant women is a form of gendered violence as it puts them at increased risk of maternal health complications, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and more. While more women migrate to the United States, the laws and policies regarding detaining pregnant women are often contradictory and it is difficult to ascertain the true number of pregnant women in detention centers. In this paper, I examine the preceding factors to female migration, the climate of detention in the United States, the policies regarding pregnancy, and the outcomes that women experience.