Pain Management in Outpatient Gynecologic Procedures: An Exploration of #Colposcopy on TikTok [ID 2683582

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: TikTok, a rapidly expanding social platform, features content on painful outpatient gynecologic procedures like colposcopy. Although pain management strategies have been studied, mainstream perceptions of this procedure remain underresearched. This study aims to describe #colposcopy content on TikTok. METHODS: On August 30, 2023, the first 200 videos under #colposcopy on TikTok were collected for cross-sectional content analysis. Data were collected for author demographics, intent, tones, timing, and content themes. Educational videos were rated for quality and reliability utilizing the modified DISCERN scale. RESULTS: As of August 2023, #colposcopy on TikTok had 65.3 million views. 183 of the first 200 posts were eligible for inclusion. On average, each video received 21,754 likes, 623 comments, and 752 shares. The majority of creators (n=133; 72.7%) were White, 14 (7.7%) were Black, 6 (3.3%) were Asian, 6 (3.3%) were Hispanic/Latino, and 24 (13.1%) were unable to determine. 109 (59.6%) of the creators were patients sharing their experiences, and 26 (14.2%) were physicians or APPs intending to educate. 33 (18.0%) TikToks were educational, with a median DISCERN score of 2. Among 13 content categories, the category most observed was “pain and pain management” (n=117; 63.9%), with 81 (75.7%) creators describing the procedure as painful and 26 (25.5%) describing it as painless. Significant differences in content were also analyzed by author demographics, intent, tone, and timing. CONCLUSION: Colposcopy-related content on TikTok centers on patients’ pain experiences. Specifically, users of #colposcopy discussed the providers’ lack of pain management options. Opportunities exist to improve pain expectations and management strategies with patients.