Fighting Cancer “Like a Girl” and Taking It “Like a Man”: Examining Gender Stereotypes in Online Breast and Prostate Cancer PSAs

Abstract

Abstract: This research examines the frequency and nature of gender stereotype portrayals of both women and men in cancer narrative public service announcements (CNPSAs). A content analysis was conducted on 338 online CNPSAs (255 breast cancer, 83 prostate cancer) sourced from health organization websites and social media, utilizing established coding categories such as physical traits, gender role behaviors, and occupational status. The results suggest a higher/lower incidence of gender stereotyping in certain categories than previously identified, using odds ratio and societal data for comparison. For instance, women are 10.3 times more likely to be depicted as under 40, 5.1 times more likely to be portrayed as victims rather than heroes, and 6.7 times more likely to be shown in domestic settings, such as a kitchen. There is also notable gender stereotyping when comparing with societal data on cancer diagnoses and mortality. However, this study observes instances of reversed gender roles (e.g., women portrayed as independent, men as emotional) that contradict traditional stereotypes, despite an overall unequal representation of women. By highlighting these issues, this study contributes to research on gender stereotyping in CNPSAs and provides a valuable reference for further analyses.