Medical Information Provided by Transgender and Gender-Diverse Content Creators on YouTube: Descriptive Content...

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Health Communication
• Digital Media Studies

Background:

• Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals increasingly use social media for community, identity expression, and health information access.
• YouTube serves as a critical platform for TGD health information-seeking, offering anonymous and affirming spaces outside traditional healthcare.
• TGD content creators on YouTube share personal journeys and information, making the platform a significant educational resource.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the health-related content shared by TGD creators on YouTube.
• To identify medical topics discussed, frameworks used (personal narrative vs. informational), and the valence of healthcare experiences.
• To understand the role of YouTube in TGD health education.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive content analysis of 2485 videos from 42 self-identified TGD YouTube content creators.
• Systematic evaluation for mentions of gender-affirming care and other health topics.
• Analysis of content framing (personal narrative/informational) and creator-reported healthcare experience valence (positive/negative/neutral).

Main Results:

• While most videos (69.4%) did not discuss gender identity, among those that did (30.6%), medical topics were prevalent (72.8%).
• Gender-affirming surgeries (64.3%) and hormone replacement therapy (55.4%) were the most frequent medical topics discussed.
• Content primarily used personal narratives (74.2%), with creators often reporting positive healthcare experiences (73.2%).

Conclusions:

• YouTube hosts a wide range of health information shared by TGD creators, serving as an accessible, experience-based educational resource.
• The platform's long-form video content provides valuable insights into gender-affirming care and TGD health journeys.
• Findings can help clinicians understand online health information encountered by TGD individuals, improving supportive conversations.