Epidemiological and immunological medical research along with the “biome depletion theory” have suggested that the absence of helminthic species in people’s microbiomes is connected with the rise in the prevalence of autoimmune system disorders in the 21st century. Drawing from this research as evidence, a DIY online community, the “Helminthic Therapy Support Facebook Group” (HTS FG), is involved in the process of reintroduction of a controlled number of helminths in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to treat autoimmune diseases.By adopting Robert Kozinets’s digital ethnography methodology, in combination with Richard Schechner’s performance studies methodology, the thesis studies how the HTS FG “performs medicine” and offers an analysis of the theatrical conventions employed by the group (such as the use of scripts, social roles, objects and time) to observe the emergence of quality of agency, care, and relation.

While the thesis acknowledges the challenges and risks associated with the HTS FG, such as the lack of scientific objectivity that could lead to misinterpretation of data, the research suggests that the HTS FG develops ways of managing health that resist dependence on institutionalised medicine and promote self-governance. This approach views medicine as a collective effort, with communities of individuals taking ownership of their health, recognizing the value of the subjective experience of illness and emphasising the importance of care, compassion, and empathy in modern medicine.