Evaluating the Public's Interest in Testicle Tanning: Observational Study.

Area of Science:

• Public health
• Dermatology
• Health communication

Background:

• A viral health trend, testicle tanning, gained media attention, promoted for increasing testosterone levels.
• Public interest in tanning wellness trends is high, potentially leading to increased UV exposure and complications.
• Misinformation surrounding testicle tanning is prevalent, amplified by social media and influencers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the extent of public interest in the practice of testicle tanning.
• To quantify the impact of media coverage on public search behavior regarding testicle tanning.

Main Methods:

• Google Trends data was analyzed for relative search interest.
• Twitter data (tweet volume) was collected via Sprout Social.
• Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models forecasted search and tweet volumes.

Main Results:

• Relative search interest for "testicle tanning" peaked at 100 on April 19, 2022, a 7252% increase over forecasted levels.
• Tweet volume spiked on April 18, 2022, reaching 42,736, a 35,053% increase over forecasted levels.
• Both metrics surged immediately following a television program discussing the trend.

Conclusions:

• Media promotion of testicle tanning significantly increased public interest in an unsubstantiated and potentially harmful trend.
• Healthcare professionals must be aware of viral health trends to effectively counsel patients and combat misinformation.
• The study underscores the need for evidence-based health information dissemination to prevent public engagement with dangerous wellness fads.