| My dissertation examines significant public aspects of perceived health risks that arise concerning particular situations of medical treatment. Focusing on the specific cases of hormone replacement therapy, silicone breast implants, and the risk of antidepressant suicidality, I identify and distinguish how specific actors in society- the scientific medical community, governmental agencies, and the media- frame perceived risks associated with medical treatments and how the public responds to these findings through the process of "a risk scare." A "risk scare" occurs when new, and sometimes controversial, research findings or governmental regulations associating a product or procedure with an unexpected increased risk of illness are widely publicized by the media, often resulting in a dramatic decrease in product/treatment utilization. A risk scare is usually initiated by the publication of medical/scientific studies or governmental actions that indicate a certain medical treatment once thought to be beneficial may actually have harmful effects. The media then amplify these findings and widely disseminate snippets of the "danger" of the treatment, often appearing as the lead story in a nightly news broadcast, the front page of newspapers, and cover story of magazines. This generates and infuses confusion and sometimes panic to consumers of the treatment and to those who perform or prescribe it. As a consequence of these reports, usage of the treatment dramatically decreases but eventually levels off with many continuing their treatment throughout the entire process. Over time, medical science may uncover a "safer" alternative or modification to the treatment and usage likely increases, perhaps surpassing previous rates. Risk scares potentially involve thousands to millions of consumers with important societal consequences. It is essential to understand the consequences of risk scares and the processes that support their initiation and continuation, as well as the impact repeated risk scares have for public confidence in medical science and the scientific community. Understanding the genesis, maintenance, and termination of risk scares will provide a guide/template for future risk scares from other medical treatment risks and may help to more effectively disseminate health information to prevent widespread panics. |
