Communicative (Dis)Enfranchisement Experienced by Women with Reproductive Health Conditions and Their Partners

This study used the theory of communicative (dis)enfranchisement to examine the functions, consequences, and responses associated with memorable messages that romantic partners receive regarding women's reproductive health conditions. We collected data from 74 couples who recalled a message that other people have said to them about their own or their partner's reproductive health conditions. Using thematic co-occurrence analysis, we identified a total of four functions of disenfranchising talk experienced by women and their partners, including discrediting, validating, silencing, and stereotyping. We identified three consequences of talk, including emotional, perceptual, and relational, as well as one behavioral response to such talk (e.g., disengagement from the healthcare system). In addition, we identified two patterns of co-occurrence within individuals (e.g., discrediting messages co-occurred with emotional consequences) and one pattern of co-occurrence between partners (i.e., affected participants' discrediting messages co-occurred with partners' discrediting messages). The discussion highlights the value of using a dyadic approach to understand the impact of communicative (dis)enfranchisement on couples navigating reproductive health conditions.