#GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content Analysis
Abstract BackgroundTransgender and gender diverse people often turn to online platforms for information and support regarding gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT); however, analysis of this social media content remains scarce. ObjectiveWe characterized GAHT-rela...
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| Format: | Article |
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JMIR Publications
2025-04-01
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| Series: | JMIR Infodemiology |
| Online Access: | https://infodemiology.jmir.org/2025/1/e66845 |
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| author | Julia Rose Beatini Nora Yanyi Sun Julianna K Coleman Maetal E Haas-Kogan Andrea Pelletier Deborah Bartz Alex Sogomon Keuroghlian |
| author_facet | Julia Rose Beatini Nora Yanyi Sun Julianna K Coleman Maetal E Haas-Kogan Andrea Pelletier Deborah Bartz Alex Sogomon Keuroghlian |
| author_sort | Julia Rose Beatini |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Abstract
BackgroundTransgender and gender diverse people often turn to online platforms for information and support regarding gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT); however, analysis of this social media content remains scarce.
ObjectiveWe characterized GAHT-related videos on TikTok to highlight the implications relevant to GAHT prescribers.
MethodsWe used a web scraper to identify TikTok videos posted under the hashtags #genderaffirminghormonetherapy and #genderaffirminghormones as of November 2023. We identified recurrent themes via qualitative content analysis and assessed health education videos with the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V) scale and a modified Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP) test.
ResultsOut of 69 videos extracted, 71% (49/69) were created by GAHT users, 24.6% (17/69) were created by health care workers, and 21.7% (15/69) were created to provide health education. Themes included physical changes on testosterone, GAHT access, and combating misinformation and stigma surrounding GAHT. Health education videos scored highly on PEMAT-A/V items assessing understandability (mean 88.3%, SD 11.3%) and lower on actionability (mean 60.0%, SD 45.8%). On the CRAAP test, videos scored highly on the relevance, authority, and purpose domains but lower on the currency and accuracy domains.
ConclusionsDiscussions of GAHT on TikTok build community among transgender and gender diverse users, provide a platform for digital activism and resistance against legislation that limits GAHT access, and foster patient-provider dialogue. Educational videos are highly understandable and are created by reliable sources, but they vary in terms of currency and quality of supporting evidence, and they lack in actionability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d2e576cf9e4049eba9a39a099883db02 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2564-1891 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Infodemiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-d2e576cf9e4049eba9a39a099883db022025-08-20T02:14:50ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Infodemiology2564-18912025-04-015e66845e6684510.2196/66845#GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content AnalysisJulia Rose Beatinihttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-1901-4472Nora Yanyi Sunhttp://orcid.org/0009-0008-2023-8215Julianna K Colemanhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-2784-0221Maetal E Haas-Koganhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-2288-9851Andrea Pelletierhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-3063-2968Deborah Bartzhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-3096-9715Alex Sogomon Keuroghlianhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-6624-8354 Abstract BackgroundTransgender and gender diverse people often turn to online platforms for information and support regarding gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT); however, analysis of this social media content remains scarce. ObjectiveWe characterized GAHT-related videos on TikTok to highlight the implications relevant to GAHT prescribers. MethodsWe used a web scraper to identify TikTok videos posted under the hashtags #genderaffirminghormonetherapy and #genderaffirminghormones as of November 2023. We identified recurrent themes via qualitative content analysis and assessed health education videos with the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V) scale and a modified Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP) test. ResultsOut of 69 videos extracted, 71% (49/69) were created by GAHT users, 24.6% (17/69) were created by health care workers, and 21.7% (15/69) were created to provide health education. Themes included physical changes on testosterone, GAHT access, and combating misinformation and stigma surrounding GAHT. Health education videos scored highly on PEMAT-A/V items assessing understandability (mean 88.3%, SD 11.3%) and lower on actionability (mean 60.0%, SD 45.8%). On the CRAAP test, videos scored highly on the relevance, authority, and purpose domains but lower on the currency and accuracy domains. ConclusionsDiscussions of GAHT on TikTok build community among transgender and gender diverse users, provide a platform for digital activism and resistance against legislation that limits GAHT access, and foster patient-provider dialogue. Educational videos are highly understandable and are created by reliable sources, but they vary in terms of currency and quality of supporting evidence, and they lack in actionability.https://infodemiology.jmir.org/2025/1/e66845 |
| spellingShingle | Julia Rose Beatini Nora Yanyi Sun Julianna K Coleman Maetal E Haas-Kogan Andrea Pelletier Deborah Bartz Alex Sogomon Keuroghlian #GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content Analysis JMIR Infodemiology |
| title | #GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content Analysis |
| title_full | #GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content Analysis |
| title_fullStr | #GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | #GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content Analysis |
| title_short | #GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content Analysis |
| title_sort | genderaffirminghormonetherapy and health information on tiktok thematic content analysis |
| url | https://infodemiology.jmir.org/2025/1/e66845 |
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