Exploring Women's Lived Experiences of Breast Implant Illness (V1.0)

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Breast Implant Illness (BII): Exploring Women’s Experiences of Living with Implanted and Explanted Breast Implants.

  • IRAS ID

    307682

  • Contact name

    Georgina Jones

  • Contact email

    g.l.jones@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Leeds Beckett university

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Breast Implant Illness (BII) is a term that has been widely used to describe adverse physical and psychological symptoms women have attributed to their breast implants. However, there is little scientific evidence to suggest BII exists and no medical diagnostic criteria or definition. Yet, thousands of women continue to report that they are experiencing systemic symptoms and as a result, BII has been acknowledged by the health authorities in the UK and USA. Research has frequently reported the removal of the breast implants has resulted in all or most of the systemic symptoms disappearing, improving their overall health, quality of life and psychosocial wellbeing. Women with BII are often disbelieved by healthcare professionals and are turning to social media for support, information, and validation. There is very little qualitative research that has explored the phenomenon and no research that has looked at the lived experiences of women who self-identify as having BII. The aim of this study is to understand the views, illness experience, psychosocial impact and support needs of women who self-identify as having Breast Implant Illness (BII) through a qualitative interview study using the McGill Illness Narrative Interview (MINI). This aims to respond to the following research questions:
    1. What are the lived experiences of women who self-identify as having BII?
    2. What was/is the role of social and other media on their experience of BII?
    3. What is the psychosocial impact of BII of this group of women?
    4. What are the personal beliefs of BII in women who self-identify as having BII?
    5. What treatment did they have and how has this impacted on their BII?
    6. What issues have they faced when dealing with health professionals regarding their BII?
    7. What are the unmet information and support needs of women who self-identify as having BII?

  • REC name

    London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    22/LO/0544

  • Date of REC Opinion

    19 Oct 2022

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion