#EndtheSTIgma: An Exploratory Analysis of the 2019 HPV Awareness Day Conversation on Twitter & Instagram

Shouts from the Void: A Mixed-Method Analysis Surrounding the Online Chronic Illness Community, NEISVoid

Chronic illness affects millions worldwide, rendering the life of those affected complex to manage. Extant research points to the need for effective and supportive care for the successful treatment, yet health care encounters for this population are often filled with negative experiences, ranging from discontinuity of care to disenfranchisement from providers. One such group dedicated to sharing struggles is the NEISVoid (No End In Sight) community on Twitter. Through the use of the hashtag, #NEISVoid, they come together to share what experiences living with chronic illness look like, in vulnerable and potentially unfiltered ways. The present study analyzes the discourse surrounding the hashtag #NEISVoid in tweets published from January 1 2020, until September 1 2022 (N = 450,914 tweets) using the mixed-method analysis of topic model network (ANTMN) approach. We identify and discuss four broad discursive themes: community experiences, symptom management, efficacy solutions, and biomedical health. We analyze this discourse through the chronic care model (CCM) and in light of research on hashtag activism. We discuss practical and theoretical implications for health communicators.

Social media use in HPV-, cervical cancer-, and cervical screening-related research: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

In response to the World Health Organization's global call to eliminate cervical cancer, many countries have targets to implement human papillomavirus (HPV) primary screening. Social media may offer opportunities to promote uptake of HPV screening. We aimed to describe the extent of the scientific literature regarding social media research on HPV, cervical cancer and cervical screening.

METHODS

Seven databases were searched for peer-reviewed English-language studies related to social media research and HPV, cervical cancer and cervical screening published up to November 2023. One reviewer completed the title/abstract screening and two reviewers independently reviewed full-text articles. Data extraction was carried out by one reviewer and verified by a second reviewer. Information such as the research topic, social media platform of interest, participant characteristics, methods, analysis type, outcome measures, and key findings were collected.

RESULTS

In the 58 articles included, researchers used social media in the following ways: evaluate content, recruit participants or disseminate a survey/questionnaire, disseminate health communication content, examine the relationship between social media use and outcomes, and to conduct experiments testing the effects of social media content on outcomes. Twitter and Facebook were the most common platforms mentioned. Four articles explicitly mentioned theory.

CONCLUSIONS

Opportunities for research are identified such as further exploration of how newer social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok can be used to share HPV content, examination of appropriate images for effective communication, and determining key features of social media content to promote information sharing and improve cervical screening knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.