129 - Are #Fibroids on Your #FYP? A Content Analysis of Uterine Fibroid Health Narratives and Treatment Options on TikTok

Monday, April 13, 2026

12:10 PM - 1:10 PM ET

Location: Poster Hall: 800 level (under the escelators)

Poster Presenter(s)

Gabrielle Dickerson

Medical Student
University of Maryland School of Medicine, District of Columbia, United States

Author/Co-author(s)

NK

Nossin Khan, MPH

Medical Student
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Michigan, United States
MR

Myles Ross, BS

Medical Student
Howard University School of Medicine, District of Columbia, United States
Emily Kim

Medical Student
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, District of Columbia, United States
DR

Delara Rajabi, MPH

Medical Student
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Maryland, United States
PS

Pratik A. Shukla, MD

Associate Professor of Interventional Radiology
Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School, New Jersey, United States
EP

Esha Patel, DO

Resident Physician
Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey, United States
Neil K. Jain, DO (he/him/his)

Integrated Interventional Radiology Resident
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, District of Columbia, United States
KH

Keith Horton, MD

Attending Physician
Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Maryland, United States

Purpose: To analyze the discourse on TikTok surrounding uterine fibroids (UF) and uterine fibroid embolization (UFE).

Materials and Methods: Performed a cross-sectional content analysis of TikTok videos, two hashtag sets: general UF (#fibroids, #fibroidawareness, #uterinefibroids, #uterinemyoma, #fibroidremoval) and UFE-specific (#uterinearteryembolization, #uterinefibroidembolization, #UFE). Top 50 videos/hashtag (like count) of the last 6 months retrieved. Inclusion: UF/UFE-focused; exclusion: duplicates, non-English, off-topic. Videos coded for author type (OB/GYN, interventional radiologist (IR), lay, etc.), treatments (hysterectomy, UFE, etc.), misinformation, and tone (educational, promotional, etc.). Engagement metrics were summarized descriptively; treatment mentions were compared via χ² analysis.

Results: Of general UF hashtags, 195 met criteria; 12 (6.1%) mentioned UFE, significantly less than UFE-specific content (χ²=50, p< 0.001). UFE discussion came mainly from lay (n=4, 2.1%) and IRs (n=4, 2.1%). Myomectomy was the most common treatment discussed (n=60, 30.8%), significantly greater than UFE (χ²=32, p< 0.001). Common authors: lay (n=107, 54.8%), healthcare providers (n=42, 21.5%; OB/GYN n=22, 52.4%), and alternative (n=36, 18.5%) promoting unfounded causes (e.g., constipation, distress) and alternative remedies (teas, oils).

Of UFE-specific hashtags, 98 met criteria; 80 (81.6%) discussed UFE. Common authors: lay (n=42, 42.9%), IRs (n=13, 13.3%); lay posts focused on personal experiences, while providers' content was educational. 1 herbalist (1%) attributed persistent UF post UFE to physiologic imbalances, suggesting alternative remedies.

Conclusion: Despite being an established, evidence-based treatment, UFE is significantly underrepresented in general TikTok discourse on UF, appearing in 6.1% of general UF videos, significantly less than myomectomy, and was more reliably discussed with UFE-specific hashtags. Social media's increasing ubiquity as a health information source reflects and shapes the understanding of UF management. The necessity to intentionally seek UFE content, coupled with the low rate at which gynecologists recommend UFE, underscores its poor visibility. This lack of visibility reinforces its persistent underutilization and patient unawareness. Addressing this requires structured collaboration between IR and OB/GYN and greater investment in accessible, evidence-based patient education.