| Description |
As sex and gender minorities face discrimination and substantial health disparities in facets of their health care, scholarly research has been undervalued in cultivating and assessing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer experiences. In particular, assisted reproductive technologies and reproductive genetic testing have become more commonplace tools for couples seeking to have a biological child. However, little is known about how sex and gender minority individuals and couples experience and make decisions about these technologies. This study takes a critical qualitative approach to investigating sex and gender minority experiences with reproduction and reproductive genetic testing. Using a communicative constitution of health approach and queer standpoint theory, the investigation includes data from a national sample of twenty-seven LGBTQ-identifying individuals or couples via semi-structured interviews. Results are first presented with descriptive themes emerging through analysis regarding the communicative constitution of reproduction, the communicative constitution of reproductive genetic testing, health knowledge production, and health decision-making. Data are then interpreted using critical health constructs of Foucault's framework of technologies, reproductive futurity, and queer futurism. The dissertation concludes by summarizing contributions made with queer standpoint theory and the communicative constitution of health. Implications include directions for future theory and research as well as clinical and practical recommendations to improve patient experience. |
