ABSTRACT
Through the lens of Muted Group Theory, this chapter explores and explains the rhetorical strategies that women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome employ when participating in a free, online health forum, myPCOSteam. Analysis of myPCOSteam discourse reveals that women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome share their health experiences to unpack their own health histories and seek out medical advice from other myPCOSteam participants. Further, analysis reveals that women with the syndrome use myPCOSteam to disrupt the disembodied knowledge of the medical community. Findings contribute to ongoing conversations surrounding women’s health challenges and advocacy, as located within medical rhetoric scholarship.
