Changing the narrative: visual methods can reinforce or reduce disease-related stigma

Participatory visual methods (PVMs) involve individuals or communities who create visual representations using tools like photography, video, drawings or mapping to express their experiences and perspectives. These methods empower participants, promote dialogue and improve understanding of complex health issues in research, advocacy or community engagement. When using visual methods in research or community engagement, it is important to conciliate the wish to raise awareness while maintaining integrity and inclusivity in visual representations of people affected by skin diseases. Ethical considerations associated with the use of PVMs include obtaining informed consent, ensuring privacy and confidentiality, using images that are equitable and considerate of the individuals represented and which respect the participants’ cultural beliefs and traditions, which is particularly important for vulnerable populations in resource constrained settings. Guidelines should be developed for the use, storage and dissemination of visual data to protect participants’ rights and interests in the current era of internet, social media and artificial intelligence.