NARRATIVES OF A STRUGGLE: THE EXPERIENCE OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE IN ONLINE INFERTILITY COMMUNITIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2022.4.05Keywords:
assisted reproduction, infertility, loss, online communities, support groups, traumaAbstract
Narratives of a Struggle: The Experience of Assisted Reproductive Medicine in Online Infertility Communities. Although ART (assisted reproductive technology) has become a well-established field in modern medicine, the subject is still taboo in many modern societies. This prompted infertility patients (roughly 15-20% of the general adult population) to find online platforms to discuss options, treatments, experiences and create virtual communities – mainly forums and Facebook groups. I shall focus on aspects concerning the narratives of trauma, loss and empowerment in two online communities - Infertilitate. Fertilizare in vitro. Sustinem Asociatia SOS Infertilitatea (Infertility. In vitro fertilization. We support the SOS Infertility Association) and Fertility Friends, from two different geographical areas – the UK and Romania, in order to reveal the dynamics of advice giving, information sharing, experience narratives and patient support. Communication is paramount to infertility treatment, yet specialized clinics often underestimate the importance of this aspect. Online forums and social media have provided patients with opportunities to connect, shaping particular jargons and textual strategies with regard to the medical journey of ART. I intend to outline the structure and relevance of these verbal constructs, in order to explore the specific manner in which online platforms offer a valid environment for a positive exchange of information among ART patients while also creating a medium of emotional support. My interdisciplinary focus will involve methods specific to medical humanities, text and discourse analysis and linguistic commentary.
Article history: Received 10 August 2022; Revised 17 October 2022; Accepted 5 November 2022; Available online 20 December 2022; Available print 30 December 2022.
REZUMAT. Narațiunile unei lupte: experiența reproducerii asistate medical în comunitățile online despre infertilitate. Cu toate că tehnicile RUAM (reproducere umană asistată medical) au evoluat spre coagularea unui domeniu bine stabilit în medicina modernă, subiectul este încă tabu în multe societăți contemporane. Acest fapt determină pacienții infertili (aproximativ 15-20% din populația generală adultă) să caute platforme online unde să își discute opțiunile, tratamentele, experiențele și să creeze comunități virtuale – în principal forumuri și grupuri Facebook. În studiul de față mă voi concentra asupra unor aspecte ce vizează narațiunile traumei, pierderii și ale susținerii, în două comunități online - Infertilitate. Fertilizare in vitro. Sustinem Asociatia SOS Infertilitatea și Fertility Friends, din două spații geografice diferite - Marea Britanie și România, pentru a revela dinamica schimbului de sfaturi și informații, a narațiunilor despre experiențe și a susținerii între pacienți. Comunicarea e esențială în tratamentul infertilității, deși clinicile de specialitate adesea subestimează acest aspect. Forumurile online și rețelele sociale le-au oferit pacienților oportunități de a se conecta, generând o serie de jargoane și strategii textuale legate de experiența medicală a RUAM. Intenția mea, în acest studiu, este de a delimita structura și relevanța acestor constructe verbale, pentru a putea explora maniera specifică în care platformele online oferă un mediu viabil pentru un schimb pozitiv de informații între pacienții RUAM, creând în același timp un mediu de susținere emoțională. Interesul meu interdisciplinar va viza metode specifice științelor umaniste medicale, a analizei de text și discurs, precum și comentariului lingvistic.
Cuvinte-cheie: comunități online, grupuri de suport, infertilitate, reproducere asistată, pierdere, traumă
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