Date of Award
May 2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Communication Studies
Committee Member
Travers Scott
Committee Member
Kristen Okamoto
Committee Member
Leland Fecher
Abstract
This is a qualitative study, regarding women with the chronic pain condition endometriosis, utilizing in-depth interviews. Endometriosis is a chronic pain condition in which the tissue of the uterus is found outside the uterine cavern. This tissue leads to many symptoms that can affect a woman’s social, personal, and professional life. Guiding literature on the history of women’s health, validation through diagnosis, patient-provider relationships, social support, and dialogism in health communication were used to inform this research. A narrative analysis approach was used to analyze the findings which consisted of four narratives: manifestations of pain, social support, patient-provider communication and what diagnosis means.
Keywords: endometriosis, diagnosis, dialogism, doctor-patient relationships, chronic pain, women’s health, gender
Recommended Citation
Craig, Kayla Ashley, "“It's Not Cramps...That's Not Normal”: A Qualitative Study on Endometriosis Diagnosis" (2020). All Theses. 3339.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/3339