Evaluating Women's Health Messages: A Resource Book / Edition 1

by Roxanne L. Parrott, Celeste M. Condit

Overview

The increased attention currently being paid to women's reproductive health issues has produced a corresponding interest in the role that communication plays in promoting better health care. Groundbreaking and comprehensive, this book is the first systematic examination of the major types and forms of messages about women's reproductive health - medical, social scientific and public - and the degree to which these messages compare with and contradict each other. Within the broad framework of communication, a range of women's health issues are examined in this book from political, historical, technological and feminist perspectives. The issues examined include: abortion; infertility; drug and alcohol use in pregnancy; childbirth; AIDS; menst

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761900573
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/01/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	459
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.02(d)

About the Author

I emphasize the processes and outcomes associated with communication about health. My recent research focuses on the design of health messages to promote behavioral adaptation in situations where individuals are unable, unwilling, and/or unlikely to avoid situations and practices that put their health at risk. I have applied a behavioral adaptation approach to farmers' sun protection practices and am currently investigating its utility for involving the lay public in understanding the implications of human genetics research and information for personal well-being. I utilize a community-based approach in the dissemination of behavioral adaptation messages.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Priorities and Agendas in Communicating about Women's Reproductive Health - Roxanne Louiselle Parrott and Celeste Michelle Condit
PART ONE: POLITICAL AGENDAS AND WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH MESSAGES
Medical and Psychological Consequences of Legal Abortion in the United States - Diane Helene Miller
A Matter of Consequence - Diane Helene Miller
Abortion Rhetoric and Media Messages
Illicit Drug Use and the Pregnant Woman - Robert Lemieux
The Prevalance, Social Impact, Effects and Legislative Action
The Drama of in utero Drug Exposure - Kimberly N Kline
Fetus Takes First Billing
PART TWO: HISTORICAL ISSUES IN COMMUNICATING ABOUT WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Contraception and Clinical Science - Susan Owen and Sally Caudill
Constructing Woman's Place
Our Bodies, Our Risk - Martha Solomon, Mary Anne Trasciatti and Cynthia P King
Dilemmas in Contraceptive Information
The American Experience of Childbirth - Elizabeth Jean Nelson
Toward a Range of Safe Choices
Contemporary Birthing Practices - Helen M Sterk
Technology over Humanity?
PART THREE: A FETAL AND MATERNAL HEALTH APPROACH TO COMMUNICATING ABOUT WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Women and Smoking - Michael Pfau, Margot L Nelson and Mary Moster
Consequences and Solutions
Tugging at Pregnant Consumers - Deirdre M Condit
Competing 'Don't Smoke!' 'Do Smoke!' Media Messages and Their Messengers
Prenatal Alcohol Consumption and Outcomes for Children - Joan Marie Kraft
A Review of the Literature
Knowing When to Say When and Why - Kathryn J French, Theresa D Frasier and C Jay Frasier
Media Messages Aimed at Preventing Women's Alcohol Consumption
PART FOUR: A CAMPAIGN PERSPECTIVE FOR COMMUNICATING ABOUT WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Promoting Pregnancy and Prenatal Care to Women - Roxanne Louiselle Parrott and Margaret Daniels
Promises, Pitfalls, and Pratfalls
Prenatal Care from a Woman's Perspective - Margaret Daniels annd Roxanne Louiselle Parrott
A Thematic Analysis of the Newspaper Media
Cervical, Ovarian, and Uterine Cancer - Melanie A Williams
Advancing Awareness, Choices, and Survival
Magic, Moralism and Marginalization - Michele Kilgore
Media Coverage of Cervical, Ovarian, and Uterine Cancer
PART FIVE: A SOCIAL SUPPORT FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNICATING ABOUT WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Menarche, Menstruation, and Menopause - Pamela J Kalbfleisch and Karen H Bonnel
The Communication of Information and Social Support
Media Portrayals of Women's Menstrual Health Issues - Pamela J Kalbfleisch, Karen H Bennel and Tina M Harris
Social Support and Breast Cancer - Maureen P Keeley
Why Do We Talk and To Whom Do We Talk?
An Analysis of Discourse Promoting Mammography - Mary L Kahl and Joan Lawrence-Bauer
Pain, Promise, and Prevention
PART SIX: CONTEMPORARY PRIORITIES IN COMMUNICATING ABOUT WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Options and Risks with Reproductive Technologies - Lisa Flores
Media Bias for Reproductive Technologies - Celeste M Condit
Hysterectomies - Cathey S Ross
Don't Ask 'Why Not?': Ask 'Why?'
Hysterectomy - E M I Sefcovic
What the Popular Press Said (1986-1992)
Women and AIDS - Rebecca J Welch Cline and Neyla J Mc Kenzie
The Lost Population
The Reconstruction of AIDS as a Womens's Health Issue - Salome Raheim
CONCLUSION
A Woman-Centered 'Sense-Making' Approach to Communicating about Women's Reproductive Health - Roxanne Louiselle Parrott

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Helen M. Murphy, MSN, MPH, RN (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Nursing)
Description: This book examines medical, social research, and public messages about women's health. It analyzes the various modes of delivering messages to show consistencies, inconsistencies, and gaps in research and in our understanding of women's healthcare.
Purpose: It is intended to provide an overview of the pattern of gaps and biases in public media, campaign messages, and medical and social research/information about women's healthcare.
Audience: The book is aimed at nonacademicians, media consumers of women's health messages, and academicians, students and health practitioners specializing in women's health, and in addition, those involved in the social sciences.
Features: The book has few illustrations, and those are black-and-white. Perhaps a little more attention here would have enhanced the book. On the other hand, the references are current, very pertinent, and come from a wide variety of sources.
Assessment: This is an excellent book. The subject matter is thoroughly and broadly researched by experts from a variety of U.S. universities and colleges. The content is presented in a unique, realistic, and relevant way, emphasizing the role politics and the media play in the process of constructing messages about women's healthcare. Moreover, a broad framework is used to outline the topic, including environmental, sociopolitical, and economic dimensions of women's healthcare messages. The book would be most useful for the well educated public, women's health advocacy groups, students and health practitioners specializing in women's health, in addition to social scientists. I highly recommend that libraries, bookstores, and individuals purchase it.

Doody's Review Service

3 Stars from Doody

This book examines medical, social research, and public messages about women's health. It analyzes the various modes of delivering messages to show consistencies, inconsistencies, and gaps in research and in our understanding of women's healthcare. It is intended to provide an overview of the pattern of gaps and biases in public media, campaign messages, and medical and social research/information about women's healthcare. The book is aimed at nonacademicians, media consumers of women's health messages, and academicians, students and health practitioners specializing in women's health, and in addition, those involved in the social sciences. The book has few illustrations, and those are black-and-white. Perhaps a little more attention here would have enhanced the book. On the other hand, the references are current, very pertinent, and come from a wide variety of sources. This is an excellent book. The subject matter is thoroughly and broadly researched by experts from a variety of U.S. universities and colleges. The content is presented in a unique, realistic, and relevant way, emphasizing the role politics and the media play in the process of constructing messages about women's healthcare. Moreover, a broad framework is used to outline the topic, including environmental, sociopolitical, and economic dimensions of women's healthcare messages. The book would be most useful for the well educated public, women's health advocacy groups, students and health practitioners specializing in women's health, in addition to social scientists. I highly recommend that libraries, bookstores, and individuals purchase it.

Helen M. Murphy

Examines medical, social, scientific, and public messages about women's health, from various perspectives including feminist, historical, and political approaches. Look at issues such as abortion, AIDS, and menopause, summarizing medical and/or social scientific research and analyzing mass mediated messages women have received in recent years about medical research. For students in public health, health communication, and women's studies. Paper edition (unseen), $32.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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