Size matters: characterizing penile augmentation content from the 100 most popular YouTube videos

• Published in: International journal of impotence research 2024-08, Vol.36 (5), p.493-497
• Main Authors: Seranio, Nicolas, Muncey, Wade, Cox, Shanice, Belladelli, Federico, Del Giudice, Francesco, Glover, Frank, Eisenberg, Michael L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/700/565/545; 692/700/784; Body image; Humans; Information sources; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Patients; Penis; Penis - anatomy & histology; Penis - surgery; Plastic surgery; Reproductive Medicine; rology; Social Media; Social networks; Urological surgery; Urology
• ISSN: 0955-9930; 1476-5489; 1476-5489
• DOI: 10.1038/s41443-023-00728-y

Aesthetic penile augmentation is considered investigational and not shown to be safe or efficacious. This study sought to characterize the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on the topic of penile augmentation. A systematic search identifying the 100 most viewed YouTube videos on penile augmentation was conducted. The videos were then evaluated by two independent urologists for reliability and quality using a modified DISCERN scoring system and Global Quality Scale (GQS). The median total views were 530,612 (range 123,478–32,914,713). The median DISCERN and GQS scores for all 100 videos were generally poor at 1.75 (IQR 1–2.63) and 2.5 (IQR 1.5–3.5), respectively. A little under half of the videos had a physician present (44.7%). DISCERN and GQS scores were significantly higher in videos with physicians compared to those without one ( p