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‘Recurrent losers unite’: Online forums, evidence-based activism, and pregnancy loss

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  • Kuchinskaya, Olga
  • Parker, Lisa S.

Abstract

Women with recurrent pregnancy loss face unique challenges associated with the social invisibility of their condition, patchy medical knowledge about it, and often intransigent positions of doctors. We approach online forums as sites of knowledge production and examine discussions among women with recurrent miscarriages. We observe that some forum participants gather, summarize, and share experience-based and research-based information in order to challenge certain medical conceptions. We describe these efforts as an example of individual patients’ evidence-based activism enabled by new media platforms and other technoscientific tools available to the public.

Suggested Citation

  • Kuchinskaya, Olga & Parker, Lisa S., 2018. "‘Recurrent losers unite’: Online forums, evidence-based activism, and pregnancy loss," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 74-80.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:216:y:2018:i:c:p:74-80
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.09.014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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