This book explores an online support group for women who are infertile. Offering a close-up view of the women’s identities and emotions as they navigate the “roller-coaster” world of infertility, a range of questions are addressed: How do the women seek support? How do they offer support to one another? How are intimacies produced in the online space? Through narrative analysis of online journals and posts, the authors examine the impact of infertility on women’s perceptions of their bodies, their struggles with medical professionals, on their relationships with family and friends, and the challenges that a diagnosis of infertility presents to couples. Infertility and Intimacy in an Online Community will appeal to social scientists, students from a range of health science disciplines, counsellors and health professionals, and women and men who are dealing with infertility.

This book brings together a collection of case studies that explore the relationship between health and masculinity. It covers various topics related to health, such as mental health, sexual health, eating disorders and coronavirus, and offers health-based perspectives on issues such as migration and gender identity, as these relate to masculinities. In exploring these themes, this book addresses a wide range of communicative contexts, including online forums, interviews, advertising, sex education materials, migrant integration classes, and suicide notes. This book will appeal to linguists interested in health and gender (particularly masculinities), as well as scholars in fields such as psychology, media studies, cultural studies, and other humanities and social science disciplines with a focus on discourse.

The internet has grown to become one of the largest communication hubs in history. With its ability to share content and create community bonds, it has seen many fandoms and online social communities develop within the past decades. While there are some detriments to these communities, there are also many benefits and potential uses for the betterment of society. The Research Anthology on Fandoms, Online Social Communities, and Pop Culture explores the ways in which the internet has presented itself as a platform for communities to gather. This essential reference source discusses the engagement of these communities, social media use, and the uses of these communities for education. Covering topics such as digital communities, transmedia language learning, and digital humanities, this book is a vital tool for educators of K-12 and higher education, digital folklorists, sociologists, communications researchers, online administrators, community leaders, and academicians.

In Taking Baby Steps, Jody Lyneé Madeira takes readers inside the infertility experience, from dealing with infertility-related emotions to forming treatment relationships with medical professionals and confronting difficult medical decisions. Based on hundreds of interviews, this book investigates how women, men, and medical professionals negotiate infertility’s rocky terrain to create life and build families—a journey across personal, medical, legal, and ethical minefields that can test mental and physical health, friendships and marriages, spirituality, and financial security.