The term leprosy carries profound stigma, yet its common alternative, Hansen's disease, paradoxically commemorates a physician who performed nonconsensual experimentation on a woman affected by leprosy. We argue that future terminology should be reconsidered through an international process centered on people affected by the disease.
BT - International journal of dermatology C1 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/42839589 DA - 10/2026 DO - 10.1111/ijd.70718 J2 - Int J Dermatol LA - ENG M3 - Article N2 -The term leprosy carries profound stigma, yet its common alternative, Hansen's disease, paradoxically commemorates a physician who performed nonconsensual experimentation on a woman affected by leprosy. We argue that future terminology should be reconsidered through an international process centered on people affected by the disease.
PY - 2026 T2 - International journal of dermatology TI - Leprosy and Hansen's Disease: Rethinking Terminology Through a Patient-Centered Lens. SN - 1365-4632 ER -