Digital media use among women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Intersections of health, gender identity and new technology

My research project proposes to investigate how women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) use digital media and how this use intersects with gender, identity, health and mental health. Women with PCOS experience higher levels of male sex hormones affecting menstruation, ovulation and fertility, potentially leading to excess facial hair growth, acne, alopecia and obesity (Ehrmann,2005). The condition is also associated with higher prevalence of depression and anxiety (Elsenbruch et al., 2003). As the majority of prior research on PCOS is of a medical nature, there is limited research exploring women's experiences of living with the condition. My research aims to counteract this, offering an understanding of how the condition and its side effects affect the mental health and gender identity of women with PCOS, and how the use of digital media can intersect with this.
The funding for my research comes from a 1+3 ESRC DTP studentship (dates: 2019-2023), during which I will be undertaking an MSc in Social Science Research (Communication and Media pathway), followed by PhD research, under the supervision of Dr Paula Saukko and Dr Catherine Coveney. I am based in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at Loughborough University, which is where I have previously completed a BSc in Sociology and an MA in Digital Media and Society.
My overarching research questions are: How do women with PCOS use digital media to cope with and act upon the condition and how does this use intersect with gendered identity? This question translates into three research objectives:
To map the landscape of digital media use related to PCOS, in order to understand the use or non-use of digital media among women with the condition.
To analyse how women with PCOS utilise digital media to cope with and research their condition, for example through the use of online support groups or health trackers, and how their interaction with medical professionals intersects with this use.
To explore how gendered social norms impact how women with PCOS perceive their own gender identity, and how the use of digital media intersects with this.
In order to observe the diverse uses of digital media for health reasons, I will be recruiting participants in a variety of ways, from social media, PCOS charities, online and offline support groups and advertisements in public spaces, in order to capture the experiences of all types of users of digital health media.
I will be conducting interviews with forty women with PCOS and additionally, ten participants will be selected to produce video diaries of themselves using digital media for reasons related to PCOS. The method of video diaries will allow participants to exercise greater control over their own narrative and guide the process themselves, helping to portray the experiences of these women as faithfully as possible.
The material will be analysed for themes, taking a similar approach to previous research conducted by Kitzinger and Willmott (2002), who interpreted their participants' interview data as autobiographical, thereby developing an understanding of women's experiences of living with PCOS.
Building upon my undergraduate and postgraduate theses on gender, digital media and sociology, and by using women with PCOS as a case study, this research will contribute to understanding the intersection of digital media, health, mental health and gender identity. Furthermore, through collaboration with PCOS charities, I aim to help to raise awareness and further the understanding of the effects of the condition on women, contributing to the development of more effective methods of support for women with PCOS.