MP45-18 MISINFORMATION ON TIKTOK ABOUT THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS AND VACCINATIONS ON MALE FERTILITY

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP45-18 MISINFORMATION ON TIKTOK ABOUT THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS AND VACCINATIONS ON MALE FERTILITY Meher Pandher, Jacob Veliky, John Fastenau, Gabriel Fernandez Pedrosa, Anh Nguyen, and Hossein Sadeghi-Nejad Meher PandherMeher Pandher More articles by this author , Jacob VelikyJacob Veliky More articles by this author , John FastenauJohn Fastenau More articles by this author , Gabriel Fernandez PedrosaGabriel Fernandez Pedrosa More articles by this author , Anh NguyenAnh Nguyen More articles by this author , and Hossein Sadeghi-NejadHossein Sadeghi-Nejad More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003291.18AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The effect of the SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine on male fertility has been a cause of controversy. Studies have found that while COVID-19 disease can be associated with decreased sperm counts and quality, the vaccine is not. Despite evidence about the lack of association between the COVID-19 vaccine and male fertility, social media platforms, including TikTok, continue to spread misleading information. Objective: To identify how TikTok contributes to misinformation regarding the COVID-19 virus, vaccination, and male infertility. METHODS: After excluding unrelated videos, 58 videos using the terms #covidvaccine and #malefertility were identified on Tiktok from January 1 to December 31, 2021. Videos were reviewed by five independent researchers. Information collected included video publication date, length, views, likes, comments, presence of US certified medical professional, demographic details, scientific article cited, belief held on COVID-19 vaccine, infection and infertility, modified DISCERN score and Patient Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). The PEMAT score evaluated 17 items regarding understandability and actionability. The modified DISCERN based reliability score ranked quality from 1=poor, to 5=excellent. Data was analyzed using SPSS statistics software v24. RESULTS: The average video was 51 seconds long, received 34,678 views, 3,301 likes, and 160 comments. A majority of videos featured a medical professional (67.2%). Most videos were of the opinion that the COVID-19 infection causes infertility in men (48.3%) but not the vaccine (37.9%). Few videos believed that the vaccine was responsible for male infertility (6.9%). The average DISCERN score for the 58 videos was 2.93, PEMAT Understandability score was 76.1%, and PEMAT Actionability score was 25.7%. With the presence of a certified US Medical Professional in the TikTok video, the average DISCERN score (2.00 vs. 3.38, p=.001), PEMAT Understandability Score (67.68 vs. 80.26, p=.015), and PEMAT Actionability Score (13.16 vs. 31.82, p=.024) increased significantly. Videos with medical professionals present had a lower average number of views (31,996 vs. 40179, p=.691), fewer likes (1,902 vs. 6,173, p=.290), and fewer comments (150 vs. 182, p=.737), but none of these differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that TikTok videos endorsing misinformation are popularly viewed. Among all the misinformation in social media, it is reassuring to see that there are medical professionals interested in promoting medically accurate information. Source of Funding: N/A © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e628 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Meher Pandher More articles by this author Jacob Veliky More articles by this author John Fastenau More articles by this author Gabriel Fernandez Pedrosa More articles by this author Anh Nguyen More articles by this author Hossein Sadeghi-Nejad More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...