Date of Graduation

8-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Communication (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Communication

Advisor/Mentor

Elkhalid, Amnee

Committee Member

Neville-Shepard, Meredith

Second Committee Member

Leach, Rebecca

Keywords

Bangladesh; health communication; Privacy management; stigma management; women

Abstract

Women in Bangladesh often silently bear the burden of stigma tied to their bodies, minds, and societal roles. This study examines the coping strategies women use to manage health-related stigma and their privacy while facing issues like reproductive health, mental health, and postpartum challenges. The study was conducted by utilizing in-depth interviews with 17 Bangladeshi women. Stigma Management Communication Theory (SMC) and Communication Privacy Management Theory (CPM) are the two frameworks that guided the study. The findings of the study reveal that stigma often silences women and threatens their social identities, and women feel that having a health problem means they have failed in some way. Therefore, strategies such as, avoiding conversations, distancing themselves from stigma, concealing their struggles, and relying on their own resilience were adopted by women. On the other hand, privacy, closely connected to their stigmatized identity, becomes an emotional labor. The process of choosing people to share private information is not straightforward. It is a risky decision influenced by trust, social judgment, and the need to maintain dignity. This study highlights women's voices and adds to health, stigma, and privacy research in the Global South. It shows how communication can support or challenge stigma.

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