From invisible to visible : women’s accounts of continuous glucose monitoring with Type 1 diabetes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Psychology) at Massey University

Abstract

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) were designed to provide biomedical support to individuals with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in managing their blood glucose levels, offering an increased sense of freedom in living with T1D on a daily basis. Yet, CGMs should not be understood in biomedical isolation, as they exist within dominant sociomaterial and sociocultural discourses of contemporary society (especially neoliberal ableism). Using a critical feminist disability framework underpinned by constructionist relativism, this study explored women with T1D’s embodied experiences managing glucose levels and daily living with a CGM. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 women aged 18-30, and the data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were constructed: (1) you’re taking a drug that makes your body store fat; (2) we always have to think about everything that goes in our mouth; (3) always visible; and (4) marked bodies. Across these themes, participants seemed to be taking up and resisting the subject position of the ‘postfeminist diabetic.’ This position is generated through biomedical norms to be the ‘perfect diabetic,’ and intersects with discourses of femininity that shape women’s experiences of external and internalised pressure to conform. The findings suggest that by rejecting dominant binaries, we can provide opportunities for women to be ‘both/and’: to support and care for their glucose levels while also challenging ableist and normative ideas.