“Infertile Myrtles”: Stigma Power, Invisible Stigma, and Social Interactions between Infertile and Pregnant Women

Abstract

Infertility is a condition that affects nearly 30 percent of women aged 25-44 in the United States. Because of the intrusive nature of infertility treatments, women often rely on strong social support to navigate the extensive medical procedures and social/psychological challenges. However, one specific interaction - the interaction between infertile and pregnant women - reveals both the visible and invisible stigmas faced by infertile women. Though past research has addressed the stigmatization of infertility, few have done so in the context of stigma management between fertile and infertile women. This can be assessed by using forum analysis; women who are infertile can post threads to access online support when they feel most vulnerable. In order to better understand the stigma faced by infertile women, I analyzed the initial threads on an infertility forum on Fertile Thoughts, the most highly-trafficked infertility community available online. Using these posts, I showed that infertile women are stigmatized for their infertility and for their childlessness, that infertile women cope using a variety of mechanisms both positive and negative, that stigma power is evident in relationships infertile women have with their fertile peers, and that all three of the above findings reinforce understandings of motherhood and good parenting in the United States.