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Abortion is a politicized and stigmatized health procedure that has received considerable attention in popular discourse in the past year. The present study investigated how often people (N = 235) talk about abortion throughout their lifespan and within the past 12 months, with whom they have these conversations, and which conversations were most memorable. Key findings from the present study, framed through the Theory of Memorable Messages and the Social Ecological Model, include that most participants had at least one conversation about abortion in the past 12 months. Within the past 12 months, the most common conversation partners for abortion-related communication were friends, followed by mothers and romantic partners. Over the lifespan, but prior to the past 12 months, a majority of participants had at least one conversation about abortion. Similarly, friends were the most frequent source of abortion-related communication over the lifespan, followed by mothers and romantic partners. Many of the conversations within the past 12 months focused heavily on the overturn of Roe v. Wade or navigating a post-Roe world with a body that could become pregnant, or as someone who cared about people who could become pregnant. Prior to the past 12 months, participants characterized abortion communication as tense, religious, pro-choice, descriptive of the women who might have abortions, relating to specific abortion disclosures, or political. Within the past 12 months, memorable conversations about abortion were personal or relational, and were often prompted by discussions surrounding Roe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five years ago, we reviewed the state of memorable message scholarship in communication, with special attention to the utility of memorable message research in health communication. Since then, works advancing the theoretical and practical applicability of the construct have continued to emerge. In this article, we discuss the trends in published memorable message research over the last five years. Since 2017, thirty-four additional peer-reviewed articles focusing on memorable messages as a central concept have been published. Health communication as a subset of the field (as well as the journal Health Communication) see a higher concentration of these publications than other areas. In this review, we concentrate on the use of theory within recent memorable message work. Although much of the memorable message research continues to be atheoretical, more work utilizing control theory, the theory of memorable messages, and communicated narrative sense-making characterize the recent literature. Additionally, more research has emerged that highlights the theoretically driven investigations about the nature of memorable messages. We review the scholarship utilizing these and other theories and suggest avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, women's use of contraception has evolved. Women not only utilize contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, but also to manage menstruation and other factors related to their personal agency. Despite an abundance of available contraceptive options, many women struggle to navigate and address their contraceptive needs. A hundred and thirty-four female participants responded to an open-ended questionnaire about contraceptive messages and decision making in an online survey. Using Uncertainty Management Theory as a framework, we illustrate how the women make sense of and manage uncertainty from multiple contraceptive messages. Results highlighted the absence of desired information, and identified messages that women wish they had received from healthcare providers and others. Our findings suggest that women's understanding of contraceptives' side effects is a communicative process in which anecdotal evidence is often treated as medical fact and healthcare providers are viewed as ineffective and dismissive in relaying and addressing information about contraception. In the absence of satisfying healthcare interactions, women seek information elsewhere to make their contraceptive choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a privilege and honor to welcome you to this special issue of Health Communication which is based on scholarship that advances various divergent health issues pertinent to African American, Latino/a/x, and American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) peoples. The vision for this special issue which is a microcosm of the impactful research literature emerging from our field by Black, Latino/a/x, and American Indian peoples was to call attention to and acknowledge the breath of theoretically grounded and methodologically appropriate research in health communication. The 16 original articles featured in this issue reflect a robust compilation of topics from medical mistrust to tribal and elder leaders as health communicators and health promoters. The vision for the issue is that these articles serve as a platform that starts a meaningful and needed dialog within the field of health communication about the need for accessible and diverse scholarship from often-absent voices and/or narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menstruation is a salient, and sometimes scary, communication topic for young women. The present study reports on the early communication experiences about menstruation from 165 women using open-ended survey data. Through the framework of supportive communication, findings reveal that a discrepancy occurs between the health and practical information and needs to which young people who menstruate desire access, and their social and emotional needs. The present study indicates an inadequacy of both aspects of menstruation communication from important others in childhood and adolescence. Themes of boundary management, impersonal, silence, and accidents also characterize early communication experiences about menstruation. Our participants identified a desire for conversations that normalize menstruation as typical and acceptable, validate period pain and prescribe management tactics, and describe the existence of feminine hygiene products other than pads and tampons. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knapp, Stohl, and Reardon’s (1981) seminal work reported that some messages may be “remembered for a long time and have a profound influence on a person’s life” (p. 27). While the foundational concepts of this framework have offered a meaningful contribution to memorable messages research, this article seeks to unpack the past three decades of the literature specific to the field of communication. The authors will highlight the trajectory and changes while considering its present use, episodes, and situations that transpire in individual lived experiences. Like Braithwaite, Schrodt, and Carr (2015), we note that memorable messages, though widely utilized, are largely descriptive and atheoretical or “undertheorized” (p. 15). To that end, and given its decades of successful use in health communication, organizational socialization, and education, we consider the value of a Theory of Memorable Messages (ToMM) that can support new directions for communication scholarship and serve as a catalyst for understanding dynamic relational interactions and exchanges in human communication. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) women exist as a population with an increased complexity in the relationship between themselves and their sexuality. For the LGBTQ community, sexual behaviors are often silenced or erased. This exploratory qualitative research examines 186 memorable messages that emerged from 91 LGBTQ women and gender minorities who participated in a national study. Each participant was asked to share memorable messages they received about sex, sexuality, and sexual health. Consistent with past research, "advice" was a common memorable messages form; however, negative attributes and media-derived messages emerged. The results contribute to understanding the messages that LGTBQ individuals confront on topics of sex and sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstinence for most adolescent-aged college students relates to several factors, including strong religious beliefs, an aversion to taking risks, high career expectations, or limited attractiveness. Young adults receive hundreds of messages from various sources; therefore, understanding their memorable sexual messages is essential. This exploratory research uses an interpretive method to unravel the memorable sexual narratives of 65 virgin respondents. Findings yield two primary themes: involuntary abstinence, and conscious abstinence, which demonstrate that messages of abstinence are important yet often imbue punitive internal attitudes and beliefs derived from mainstream media and peer relationships. The article concludes with a recommendation for health practitioners and communication scholars to create positive open spaces where young adults can discuss sexuality, sexual relationships, and sexual behaviors. Additionally, understanding stigmas related to abstinence helps reframe normative sex communication messages and promote constructive short- and long-term sexual health behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]