#infertility: how patients can benefit from the public discussion of conversational taboos on social media

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how the open discussion of infertility-related topics on public social media platforms contributes to the well-being of individuals affected by infertility.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, the authors used a netnographic approach to analyze 69 YouTube videos (>21 h of raw data) produced by infertility vloggers and more than 40,000 user comments.

Findings

The authors identify two ways in which infertility patients benefit from public discussions of the topic on social media: through watching videos and engaging in discussions, patients satisfy their infertility-related needs (i.e. the need for information, emotional support and experience sharing); and through reaching people who are not affected by infertility, vloggers help to de-taboo the issue as well as sensitize and educate society.

Practical implications

To providers of tabooed services, this study’s findings emphasize the potential of incorporating social media in the consumer support strategy.

Social implications

This research highlights the value of the public discussion of infertility-related topics on social media platforms for consumers affected by the issue.

Originality/value

In this study, the public discussion of infertility-related topics through video blogs is presented as a valuable tool to enhance the well-being of individuals confronted with infertility as these vlogs satisfy related needs of the consumers and contribute to de-tabooing.

Citation

Grothaus, J., Köcher, S., Köcher, S. and Dieterle, S. (2023), "#infertility: how patients can benefit from the public discussion of conversational taboos on social media", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 37 No. 7, pp. 944-956. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2022-0160