The Quality and Content of YouTube Videos About Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) in Pregnancy

BACKGROUND Pregnant individuals often seek online information regarding health concerns on free and accessible platforms such as YouTube. Use of supplemental information may increase when pregnancy is complicated by diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as herpes simplex virus (HSV) given the sensitive nature of these diagnoses. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality and content of YouTube videos about HSV during pregnancy. METHODS A search of videos on YouTube was conducted using four ‘HSV and pregnancy’ terms. The first 60 videos from each keyword search were collected and reviewed. The quality and reliability of each video were assessed using the DISCERN instrument and the JAMA Benchmark tool. An expert-developed topic list was used to generate a content score, which assessed video comprehensiveness. Videos were further categorized as either “high” or “low” quality, with high quality videos having both a DISCERN score >3 and a content score >4. Descriptive statistical analyses and comparisons of videos by source, viewing rates, duration, and subscriber number were performed. RESULTS A total of 92 unique videos were evaluated; the median content score was 3 out of 7 (IQR 1,5) and median DISCERN score was 2.12 of 8 (IQR 1.75, 2.75), representing moderate video comprehensiveness and low reliability. Only 13 (14.1%) videos met criteria for high quality. Every video categorized as high quality came from medical or online education sources. Low-quality videos had 3.5-times more subscribers & 7-fold higher viewing rates than high-quality videos (p=0.002, p=0.001). Video duration was longer for high-quality videos (15min vs 7.7min; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Few high-quality, reliable and comprehensive videos regarding HSV in pregnancy exist on YouTube. Low-quality videos generally have more subscribers and views, suggesting that individuals seeking information on YouTube may encounter incomplete resources. This study provides an opportunity for providers to better understand the qualities of online content that is viewed by patients.