newsgroup: alt.infertility

Justifiably self-obsessed, participants of alt.infertility bare the gory details of progesterone suppositories, pregnancy tests and miscarriages. This is not a place for queasy interlopers or idle gawkers. Along with a slow-burning sadness, alt.infertility has undertones of an "us-against-them" fervor. "Them" are the breeders who just don't get it: family members who aren't supportive and run roughshod over their pain, strangers who are nosy, and friends who keep their pregnancies a secret (they don't want to "rub it in"). Participants share the joy when one of them gets pregnant, hoping that their turn is next. Although the tone is reminiscent of a support group, there's a nice edge. This news group provides a venting place with a sense of history, and infertility is the unwelcome criterion for membership. - D.L.J.

subject matter: health, families

regional affiliation: global

format: newsgroup

language: English

cost: no cost