Online maternity information seeking among lesbian, bisexual, and queer women

Emily H Ruppel; Hannah E Karpman; Carolyn E Delk; Mallory Merryman

doi:10.1016/j.midw.2017.02.011

Online maternity information seeking among lesbian, bisexual, and queer women

Midwifery. 2017 May:48:18-23. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2017.02.011. Epub 2017 Mar 1.

Authors

Emily H Ruppel¹, Hannah E Karpman², Carolyn E Delk³, Mallory Merryman⁴

Affiliations

¹ Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, United States. Electronic address: eruppel@smith.edu.
² Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, MA 01063, United States. Electronic address: hkarpman@smith.edu.
³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baystate Medical Center, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA 01199, United States. Electronic address: carolyn.delk@baystatehealth.org.
⁴ Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, United States. Electronic address: mmerryma@smith.edu.

PMID: 28314179
DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2017.02.011

Abstract

Objective: recent research has concluded that barriers to maternity health care exist for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women. This mixed methods study aims to understand patterns in seeking and sharing online health information for LBQ women attempting conception.

Design: researchers performed a qualitative content analysis of 400 discussions in lesbian-oriented Facebook groups, containing 1764 total instances of text. 400 discussions from heterosexual-oriented conception and parenting Facebook groups were examined for comparison purposes, though they will not be the focus of this analysis. This paper also presents descriptive statistics on posts observed.

Setting: posts were drawn from a representative sample of lesbian-oriented conception, pregnancy, and parenting Facebook groups. Posts examined for comparison purposes were drawn from groups that appeared to primarily serve heterosexual women.

Measurements and findings: many participants in lesbian-oriented Facebook groups sought and provided medical information. Their queries focused on the insemination process, and frequently related to posters' specific situations, while heterosexual women tended to seek general advice about the conception and pregnancy process. The accuracy of the content of responses varied, and group members seemed to view the prevalence of contradictory information as positive evidence of diverse perspectives. Even when information was technically correct, posters did not always apply it properly to the question at hand.

Key conclusions: barriers to maternity care, or a lack of education and initiative among primary care providers, may drive lesbian, bisexual, and queer women to seek health information from peers on the Internet when trying to become pregnant. These exchanges may contribute to misinformation, which may negatively affect lesbian, bisexual, and queer women's fertility outcomes and overall health.

Implications for practice: clinicians should be conscious of online health information seeking as both a symptom of and cause of sexuality-based disparities.

Keywords: Health services utilization; Lesbians; Maternal healthcare; Online health information; Reproductive healthcare; Social media.

MeSH terms

Bisexuality*
Female
Homosexuality, Female*
Humans
Maternal Health Services
Midwifery
Patient Acceptance of Health Care*
Pregnancy
Prenatal Care*
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Social Media / statistics & numerical data*
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States