Youtube as a Source of Information on Female Infertility

Infertility impacts reproductive-age couples, female factors contributing 65% of all cases. Psychological and economic burdens are profound for women. Women experiencing infertility are subject to societal stigma, elevating risk of psychological distress and increased potential for domestic violence and economic hardship. Social media and internet have become a fundamental resource on health related topics. In a digital era, social media is a key source of health information, this study aims to evaluate content quality of YouTube videos on female infertility, addressing a critical gap in understanding the reliability of such information. This study analyzed YouTube videos via search terms: female/women infertility. These videos assessed for content quality using the Global Quality Score (GQS), M-DISCERN, and PEMAT A/V Understandability. We recorded video attributes like duration, source. In our analysis of 77 YouTube videos, we found 37.7% (n=29) were uploaded by fertility clinics or hospitals, and 41.6% (n=32) contained advertising content. No videos from universities or academic institutions were included. It was observed 9.1% (n=7) of videos discussed social inequality and stigmatization. Videos with a negative tone, discussing alternative medical methods, or aimed at sharing personal experiences were found to have lower GQS scores (respectively, p=0.025, 0.005, 0.029). Our study highlights a gap in high-quality YouTube content on female infertility, urging caution for patients seeking information. The scarcity of videos addressing social aspects like stigma in female infertility points to a need for more empathetic and comprehensive content. We advocate collaboration among healthcare professionals and academic institutions to enrich YouTube's infertility-related resources.