TY - JOUR
T1 - Social media and the intrauterine device
T2 - A YouTube content analysis
AU - Nguyen, Brian T.
AU - Allen, Allison J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Background YouTube's online archive of video testimonials related to health information are more commonly viewed than those developed by clinicians and professional groups, suggesting the importance of the patient experience to viewers. We specifically sought to examine the accuracy of information on, and projected acceptability of, the intrauterine device (IUD) from these YouTube testimonials. Methods We searched YouTube for videos about individual uploaders' IUD experiences, using the search terms intrauterine device', IUD', Mirena' and Paragard'. Given interest in user testimonials, we excluded professional and instructional videos belonging to commercial or non-profit entities. Two reviewers independently analysed the videos using a structured guide, with attention to inaccurate information. Results Of 86 identified videos, four videos featured clinicians and were excluded; 62 met inclusion criteria. Interrater agreement on IUD portrayal was good (K=0.73). Young (mean age 25, range 19-38, years), white (75%), nulliparous (61%) women primarily uploaded content. Most described placement of the LNG-IUS (65%), were posted within 1 month of insertion (45%), and mentioned side effects (66%)-bleeding, pain, and partner sensation of the strings. About one-third of videos contained inaccurate information (34%) and were thought to project an overall negative experience (30%). Videos portraying IUDs negatively were associated with inaccurate information and/or mention of side effects. Conclusion While one-third of IUD user testimonials on YouTube contained inaccurate information, the majority of IUD experiences were perceived by our study viewers to be positive.
AB - Background YouTube's online archive of video testimonials related to health information are more commonly viewed than those developed by clinicians and professional groups, suggesting the importance of the patient experience to viewers. We specifically sought to examine the accuracy of information on, and projected acceptability of, the intrauterine device (IUD) from these YouTube testimonials. Methods We searched YouTube for videos about individual uploaders' IUD experiences, using the search terms intrauterine device', IUD', Mirena' and Paragard'. Given interest in user testimonials, we excluded professional and instructional videos belonging to commercial or non-profit entities. Two reviewers independently analysed the videos using a structured guide, with attention to inaccurate information. Results Of 86 identified videos, four videos featured clinicians and were excluded; 62 met inclusion criteria. Interrater agreement on IUD portrayal was good (K=0.73). Young (mean age 25, range 19-38, years), white (75%), nulliparous (61%) women primarily uploaded content. Most described placement of the LNG-IUS (65%), were posted within 1 month of insertion (45%), and mentioned side effects (66%)-bleeding, pain, and partner sensation of the strings. About one-third of videos contained inaccurate information (34%) and were thought to project an overall negative experience (30%). Videos portraying IUDs negatively were associated with inaccurate information and/or mention of side effects. Conclusion While one-third of IUD user testimonials on YouTube contained inaccurate information, the majority of IUD experiences were perceived by our study viewers to be positive.
KW - contraception behavior
KW - intrauterine devices
KW - intrauterine systems
KW - long-acting reversible contraception
KW - social media
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U2 - 10.1136/bmjsrh-2017-101799
DO - 10.1136/bmjsrh-2017-101799
M3 - Article
C2 - 29170151
AN - SCOPUS:85048366750
SN - 2515-1991
VL - 44
SP - 27
EP - 31
JO - BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health
JF - BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health
IS - 1
ER -