Despite decades of effective cervical cancer prevention and detection methods and realistic goals of cervical cancer eradication, there will still be approximately 14,000 patients diagnosed and 4200 deaths from the disease in the United States (US) in 2026 (Siegel et al., 2025). The US incidence and mortality of cervical cancer decreased by 50% due to effective screening over the last 50 years but have not improved even with the addition of primary prevention with vaccination in 2006 (Gargano et al., 2025). HPV vaccination rates still lag those of other nations and behind other vaccines in the US (Saslow et al., 2020, American College of O, Gynecologists, 2020). The eradication of cervical cancer is achievable (and other nations are on target to do so) with widespread adoption of both vaccination and screening measures; yet there are still issues with confidence in and adherence to these proven cancer prevention strategies, which have only worsened in the last few years. The medical community must continue to strongly advocate for these proven measures and be actively involved in educational efforts to ensure our population understands the incredible importance of vaccination, screening, and treatment in achieving the goal of eliminating cervical cancer. Two articles in this issue of Gynecologic Oncology Reports highlight the importance and unmet need for physicians to address this information gap with clear, unambiguous recommendations and easily understandable information to maximize outcomes.
Accurate access to information is crucial for these cancer eradication efforts and for reinforcing and bolstering patient confidence in medically recommended cancer prevention efforts, especially in the era of changing guidelines, practices, and novel therapeutics. Recently, the US Department of Health and Human Services revised federal recommendations for the HPV vaccination regimen to a single-dose regimen from the previously recommended two or three-dose regimen (Fact Sheet, 2026), which could potentially improve outcomes by increasing vaccination compliance, if data showing equal efficacy hold. As of 2023, while 75–79% of US children have received at least one HPV vaccine dose (and 60–64% have completed the series (Markowitz and Unger, 2023)), this is below the WHO target for cervical cancer eradication of 90%. Further, HPV self-collection has been added as an acceptable alternative to clinician-collected specimens for patients at average risk (Perkins et al., 2026, Christine et al., 2026). This could increase uptake and compliance with cervical cancer screening but requires adherence to follow-up of abnormal results, and is projected to double the proportion of patients requiring immediate follow-up appointments compared to clinician-collected testing (10% vs. 5%) (Perkins et al., 2026). Understanding and implementing the nuances of the new guidelines poses a challenge for both providers and patients, and mixed messaging from the government, the medical establishment, and the myriad media forms may increase reliance on internet sources to guide screening, diagnosis, and treatment decisions.
Rothschild et al. (2026) report an analysis of TikTok content on cervical cancer using the hashtags #cervicalcancerscreening, #papsmear, #colposcopy, and #LEEP. Most #LEEP and #colposcopy videos discussed patients’ individual experiences. Less than 25% of the content was created by physicians, and only 57% of videos made medical claims that were at least partially evidence based. Up to 24% of #LEEP videos contained inaccurate medical information, 25% of #papsmear videos discouraged screening, and 15% encouraged distrust of health care. The authors concluded that increasing medical professional engagement and presence on social media is necessary to improve awareness in the reproductive-aged population, as 46% of TikTok users are women under the age of 45 (Gottfried, 2024, Global social media statistics). The effectiveness of screening is entirely dependent upon the subsequent treatment of abnormal results and patient adherence may be more influenced by TikTok than a physician.
Along similar lines, Szamreta et al. (2022) conducted a qualitative analysis of patients with advanced or recurrent cervical cancer from Brazil, China, Germany, and the US. The perceived need for information was a driving theme throughout the interviews; patients actively sought out information on treatments, prognosis, and cure. Patients felt information could be trusted when delivered by providers; they reported information on the internet often led to feelings of being overwhelmed and frustrated due to the inability to comprehend the information or verify its validity. Overall, obtaining information from known and perceived reliable sources about treatment expectations helped patients feel confident and reassured. Online searches were often challenging due to the volume of information and difficulty interpreting research content in layperson’s terms. It remains incumbent upon physicians to continue to work to meet this information need and to provide a wide range of trusted content across multiple media formats.
These two articles highlight important trends in the increasingly digital world of medical information seeking. First, both for the general population of patients at risk for cervical cancer and for patients diagnosed with cervical cancer, there is an unmet need for more accessible, accurate, and trusted information. As a result, many people turn to the internet for easy access and are using social media, search engines, and, increasingly, artificial intelligence to answer questions, gain knowledge, and inform their medical decisions. Patients are more likely to engage in prevention and treatment when they are empowered with information that underscores the importance and need for medical interventions; however, their first encounter with this information often occurs outside the traditional medical sphere. Second, with many sources fomenting mistrust of established institutions and changing guidelines, patients may be more likely to encounter and rely on open-access online sources. Unfortunately, quality control and oversight of these sources are utterly lacking, often providing patients with imperfect, incomplete, or incorrect information with potentially life-threatening consequences.
In this era of information abundance and constant media frenzy over fake news and perceived credibility gaps, clinicians and medical societies have an incredibly important obligation to proactively engage with patients and promote the dissemination of medically accurate information. A third of US adults are on TikTok and use is rising in younger age groups. Over half of adult TikTok users, particularly those under age 50, rely on TikTok as a news source (Eddy, 2024). Developing and distributing credible resources (Table 1) that are easily accessible and understandable for all patients will be critical to move the needle in cervical cancer prevention. Though numerous patient-friendly, accurate resources already exist, they must evolve to be easily accessible as patients continue shifting away from traditional internet media toward short-form social media content. TikTok videos, Instagram stories, and YouTube shorts are no longer just for entertainment; they are now avenues clinicians must harness to engage patients and disseminate accurate, impactful information about cancer screening and treatment. Increased social media training and engagement will become more critical in this changing era of information dissemination, and it is incumbent upon us as cervical cancer experts to meet the patients where they are, not where we wish them to be.
Table 1.
Patient education resources for cervical cancer prevention and treatment.
| Organization | Content | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ACOG Every Stage Health | General information, screening | https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/cervical-cancer |
| ACS Cervical Cancer | Screening, diagnosis, and treatment | https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/cervical-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging.html |
| Foundation for Women’s Cancer Cervical Cancer Treatment guide | Diagnosis, cancer overview, treatment | https://foundationforwomenscancer.org/gynecologic-cancers/gynecologic-cancer-types/cervical-cancer/ |
| National Comprehensive Cancer Network Cervical Cancer Patient Treatment Guide | Treatment | https://www.nccn.org/patients/guidelines/content/PDF/cervical-patient-guideline.pdf |
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