Story Submission

1. Your participation in this research is voluntary.
2. You may skip any item that you don't want to answer, and you may stop the research at any time. Note that if you leave an item blank, you will be warned that you missed one, just in case it was an accident. You can still click that you don't want to answer. Some items may be required in order to accurately present the study.
3. Questions will ask about past health experiences that could be sensitive topics for some participants, and vulnerable populations, such as pregnant people. The researchers have no role in decisions related to pregnancy outcome and that no inducement is offered to terminate a pregnancy.
4. There are no risks associated with your participation besides possible discomfort with some of the questions.
5. There are no real benefits to you from participating besides possibly learning something about the research.
6. You will NOT be asked to provide any identifiable personal information.
7. All efforts, within reason, will be made to keep the personal information in your research record private, but total privacy cannot be promised. Your information may be shared with people at MTSU (such as the MTSU Institutional Review Board) or other agencies (such as the Federal Government Office for Human Research Protection) if you or someone else is in danger or if we are required to do so by law.
8. This form does not collect direct identifiers, if you disclose any identifiers in any of the forms questions the researcher will redact this information before it is published.
9. If you consent to participate in the study and to have your story published, your health story will be published on the Care-Stories website as well as on social media accounts, a book, conference presentations, articles, and papers.

Contact Information: If you should have any questions about this research study please contact:
Principal Investigator: Holly Strickland
Contact Information: carestoriesproject@gmail.com

There are minimal risks to this research study. Some health topics may be sensitive to some participants. Risk is mitigated by anonymous study procedure. Any information will be de-identified before being published. Participants may also skip any questions they are not comfortable with. Lastly, in the debriefing there will be links to national mental health resources.

For additional information about giving consent or your rights as a participant in this study, please contact the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Office of Compliance at 615-494-8918 or via email at irb_information@mtsu.edu. (http://www.mtsu.edu/irb)

If you're ready to get started, please make your choice below before clicking into the contribution form next section.

Thanks again for volunteering your time to this project!

I have read the information above. I am at least 18 years old and Identify as a Woman. I believe I understand the purpose, risks, and benefits of the research, and I know what I will be expected to do as a study participant

If you have questions about this research, you may contact Holly Strickland through email at carestoriesproject@gmail.com. Your responses will be populated on the Care•stories website. Care•stories is an upcoming web platform that is working towards demystifying women's health topics, both physical and mental, through the exchange of real-life health stories. The website story index feature allows women to share these stories, helping to educate others on health topics and how other women have endured them. This exchange of stories creates a sense of connection and relatability between women from similar backgrounds, aiding in the educational role of the platform. If you have gone through a health event and wished at the time you could talk to someone who went through the same thing, you could be that person for someone else by submitting your story here to be published on the Care•Stories website.

If you consent to participate in the study and to have your story published, your health story will be published on the Care-Stories website as well as on social media accounts, a book, conference presentations, articles, and papers.

Additionally here are links to some national mental health organizations to mitigate any risk that may have been posed when answering sensitive questions:

• SAMHSA: samhsa.gov/find-support/in-crisis
• Postpartum Support International: postpartum.net
• Mental Health CDC Index: cdc.gov/mental-health/caring

For additional information about giving consent or your rights as a participant in this study, please contact the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Office of Compliance at 615-494-8918 or via email at irb_information@mtsu.edu. (http://www.mtsu.edu/irb)