Endometriosis and postdigital health practices
Julia M Abraham1, Rajasekaran V2
1School of Social Sciences and Languages, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Medical Humanities
|July 26, 2026
Summary
Women with endometriosis share their experiences online, using digital platforms for co-creation, education, and advocacy. These "postdigital health practices" foster community and peer support through multimodal illness narratives.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Endometriosis significantly impacts women's lives, necessitating diverse avenues for experience sharing.
- Online platforms are increasingly utilized for health-related information exchange and community building.
- Understanding digital health practices is crucial for comprehending modern patient advocacy and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze online narratives of women with endometriosis, focusing on how digital platforms facilitate experience sharing.
- To investigate the role of "postdigital health practices" in knowledge production and circulation regarding endometriosis.
- To examine how seriality, multimodality, and transmediality enhance the expression of endometriosis experiences online.
Main Methods:
- Discourse analysis of online content (pictures, reels, captions, comments) from women with endometriosis.
- Close reading of selected online accounts, applying Monika Pietrzak-Franger's "postdigital health practices" concept.
- Examination of Instagram, podcasts, YouTube videos, and independent websites for illness narratives.
Main Results:
- Online narratives demonstrate co-creation, education, advocacy, and empowerment for women with endometriosis.
- Digital content highlights serialisation, multimodality, and transmediality in expressing illness experiences.
- Embodied expressions function as informal digital advocacy and community-building, aiding in navigating life with endometriosis.
Conclusions:
- Online illness narratives are valuable for endometriosis discourse, offering experiential knowledge and peer support.
- The study underscores the significance of multimodal and transmedial approaches in communicating health experiences.
- Further investigation into these "postdigital health practices" is warranted for understanding informal health advocacy and support networks.
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