YouTube as a Source of Information on Cervical Cancer

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Accurate information about cervical cancer to general public can lower the burden of the disease including its mortality. AIMS: We aimed to look at the quality of information available in YouTube for cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched YouTube (http://www.youtube.com) for videos using the keyword Cervical cancer on November 12, 2015. Videos were then analyzed for their source and content of information. RESULTS: We studied 172 videos using the keyword Cervical cancer on November 12, 2015. We found that there were videos describing the personal stories, risk factors, and the importance of screening. However, videos discussing all the aspects of cancers were lacking. Likewise, videos from the reputed organization were also lacking. CONCLUSION: Although there were numerous videos available in cervical cancer, videos from reputed organizations including Center for Disease Control and Prevention, American Cancer Society, and World Health Organization were lacking. We strongly believe that quality videos from such organizations via YouTube can help lower the burden of disease.