If you were wondering what was happening in this comic, that is exactly the point. A woman is dealing with a hypoglycaemic episode, a low blood sugar that requires immediate treatment. She’s drinking juice to raise her blood sugar before she loses consciousness. But to the person next to her, she just looks a bit strange or they don’t realise what is happening at all. Nobody knows she’s managing a medical emergency in real time, because diabetes is invisible. People with diabetes do this constantly, in meetings, on public transport, during presentations, in classrooms.

Diabetes stigma can come from this invisibility. When people don’t understand what the experience of diabetes is, the complexity, the silent emergencies, the constant management, they make assumptions. They can judge or minimise what is happening.

Comics make the invisible visible. They let you into an experience you’d otherwise never see. Through Miss Diabetes comics, I explore the lived experience of type 1 diabetes, and how they can reduce diabetes stigma in healthcare and society. They help people understand the emotional, cognitive and social labour behind diabetes management.

Comics are a powerful tool for health communication. They help translate diabetes in ways traditional medical communication cannot. And the recent report from the National Literary Trust reinforces the importance of recognising the use of comics in health literacy!