(257) Sexual Health Related Content Posted on Social Media Platforms in the Sri Lankan Context: A Mixed Method Analysis

Abstract Introduction In the background where Sexual health being culturally sensitive and formal sexual health education is yet to establish fully, social media platforms are regarded as an important sources of information. Objective This study aimed to describe sexual health related content on Sri Lankan social media, focusing on the characteristics of content, creators, engagement patterns, and advertising practices. Methods Public posts containing sexual health content were sampled using relevant hashtags and keywords in English, Sinhala, and Tamil from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube over a six-month period. After a comprehensive quantitative analysis of 107 posts (Facebook n=41, Instagram n=13, TikTok n=32, YouTube n=20), qualitative analysis were carried out by selecting 24 posts with purposive sampling based on relevance, diversity, and varying engagement levels. Content of the posts was coded and analyzed with thematic analysis. Results The local language, Sinhala (64.5%) was the predominant language, and videos were the preferred medium (43.0%). Content creators included medical institutions (21.5%), qualified health professionals (19.6%), commercial entities (15.0%), and unqualified providers (10.3%). Most content creators did not disclose their credentials (68 posts) or location (70 posts). The tone of content varied with posts being neutral (45 posts), positive (33), empowering (9), fear-based (8), indecent (5), and stigmatising (4). Eight overarching themes were identified: STI/HIV awareness and prevention, sexual dysfunction, fertility and reproductive health, sexual wellness and pleasure, sex education, LGBTQ+ content, alternative/traditional approaches, and commercial sexual health services. Posts with higher community engagement found to have controversial content, by unqualified providers, or on socially sensitive topics. A Buddhist monk discussing masturbation attracted mostly negative comments and went viral, while another monk's post on de-stigmatizing HIV, experienced positive responses. LGBTQ+ content, mainly posted by Non Governmental Organisation (NGOs), maintained a supportive and positive tone. Misinformation was identified on several occasions, including a lady promoting unproven treatments for erectile dysfunction, misleading promotion of services targeting patients with Erectile Dysfunction, clickbait videos by non-specialists, and fear-based misinformation about HPV and cancer from alternative medicine practitioners. A post showing merely an image of a sex toy went viral, with many comments comparing it to automobile parts. Among the 23 advertisement posts, only few met requirements for truthfulness (10), credential disclosure (7), and transparency of commercial interests (8). Conclusions The findings shed concerns on misinformation and sensationalism attracting more community engagement than evidence-based content. It is important that ethical guidelines are followed in sexual health communication on social media, credential transparency improved, and steps needed to encourage qualified providers to create engaging yet accurate content. It is also suggested to utilize opportunities for enhancing successful communication approaches, such as positive coverage of LGBTQ+ content by NGOs, in broader sexual health education efforts in Sri Lanka. Further, Involvement of community and religious leaders in battling stigma surrounding sexual health is also an avenue to explore. Disclosure No

Ҳали таржима қилинмаган