Parole Fertili (“Fertile Words”): the digital story-sharing project of international scope

Seven years of stories, emotions, sharing and initiatives focused on couples who have difficulty in conceiving: this, and much more, is Parole Fertili. The project – born in 2016 as a digital story-sharing platform dedicated to sharing infertility stories – has evolved over time to become a free and welcoming space for its community.

Created from a publishing proposal by the Center for Digital Health Humanities of Rome, today Parole Fertili is a project of international scope, which has broadened its horizon thanks to the collaboration with IBSA Foundation for scientific research.

“In 2020", explained Silvia Misiti, Director of IBSA Foundation for scientific research, “we inaugurated the Cultura e Salute (“Culture and Health”) project, promoting initiatives and synergies between the world of culture and that of health, in order to improve the psycho-physical well-being in the treatment approach, as also indicated by the scientific evidence collected by the WHO. On this basis, we believe that the Parole Fertili project will be an important part of a long pathway, also aimed at promoting studies and collaborations with universities”.

“The inclusion of Parole Fertili among IBSA Foundation’s projects does not only mean extending the territorial boundaries of the initiative to an international context ", added Patrizia Puppi, Senior Corporate Communication & CSR Manager at IBSA Farmaceutici. “For us, it represents a natural point of arrival. With Parole Fertili, in 2016 we launched a social responsibility action, and precisely with this sense of responsibility we have supported it over the years".

A GROWING COMMUNITY

Parole Fertili is a space for sharing the experiences of people who are trying to become parents, based on the gift metaphor: the gift of life stories, emotions and experiences. A whole community of people was born, who over time have been growing, while sharing fears, doubts, problems, expectations, with the opportunity for discussion and interaction with those who are taking the same path, while being able to explore topics such as infertility and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

Present on social media with a Facebook page, a Twitter account and an Instagram profile in English and Italian, over the years Parole Fertili has integrated different languages ​​and activities: from short films to a theatrical production, from the story book published by Mondadori Electa, up to a treatment path combined with an activity of digital integrated dramatherapy.

A RENEWED WEBSITE FOCUSED ON EMOTIONS

The evolution of Parole Fertili is also reflected in the www.parolefertili.it website, that was recently updated with a graphic restyling and a new user experience in the fruition of contents. The almost 500 stories on the topic of the journey in search of a child – donated over the years, also anonymously – can now be selected through a personal search filter, that of the personal emotion of the moment: Acceptance, Sharing, Courage, Disappointment, Pain, Happiness, Indecision, Fear, Loneliness, Hope. Particular attention has been paid to interaction, making it possible to share all stories on social media and WhatsApp. Finally, it is now possible to complete a story with a picture, thus transforming the stories of Parole Fertili into a visual narration that also conveys emotions through images.