title: [Netnography and the bioethical analysis of therapeutic tourism blogs for stem cells].
abstract: Therapeutic tourism is a recent phenomenon in public health and has had repercussions among people with disabilities. Virtual social networks have enabled people to organize themselves to discover ways and means of seeking unconventional treatments in China. In this context, foreign biotech companies have offered experimental cell treatment therapies. In this work, netnography (conducting ethnographic research online) was conducted on the blogs of 58 people who organized campaigns to carry out treatment in China. In the analysis it was found that the main motivation for mobilization of resources and people in order to submit a disabled child to a treatment with stem cells without scientific proof is the rhetoric of hope promoted by stem cell laboratories. The conclusion drawn is that due to the ethical, legal and health implications, debate on the subject should be broadened in order to protect vulnerable individuals against inadvertent exposure to health risks due to treatments without proven control or rigor.
authors: Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade de Brasília. Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro s/n, Cidade Universitária. 70910-900 Brasília DF Brasil. monsores@unb.br.
authors: Natan
authors: N
authors: Monsores
authors: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Brasília DF Brasil.
authors: Cecilia
authors: C
authors: Lopes
authors: Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade de Brasília. Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro s/n, Cidade Universitária. 70910-900 Brasília DF Brasil. monsores@unb.br.
authors: Edilnete Maria Bessa
authors: EM
authors: Bezerra
authors: Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade de Brasília. Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro s/n, Cidade Universitária. 70910-900 Brasília DF Brasil. monsores@unb.br.
authors: Natasha Lunara
authors: NL
authors: Silva
mesh_terms: D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D026688:Bioethical Issues; D001938:Brazil; D002681:China; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000941:ethics*; D013234:Stem Cells