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Gender Bias in YouTube Videos Describing Common Urology Conditions - Beyond the Abstract

The field of Urology continues to witness a slow but steady increase in female representation amongst trainees and surgeons. Audio/visual mediums are increasingly utilized as educational platforms for patients and providers. To that end, equitable gender representation – and the impact of language used in social media content – is increasingly relevant to consider. We, therefore, evaluated YouTube videos describing common urologic conditions for the presence of gender bias based on speaker gender and language used. By analyzing linguistic patterns, we discerned significant differences between videos featuring only male physicians, female physicians, and male and female physicians.


Several studies have identified the positive influence that increasing female faculty has on the number of female trainees.1,2 In an effort to actively promote gender equality and equity, organizations such as the American Urological Association and the Society for Women in Urology have curated resources and mentorship opportunities for aspiring female urologists. We hypothesize that representation on popular, mainstream websites such as YouTube can serve similar functions. Therefore, urologists, hospital networks, and professional societies should make an effort to create more gender-balanced content in the interest of fostering gender equality in our field and inspiring female medical students to continue to pursue our field.

Written by: Rutul Patel, DO, MS, & Kara L. Watts, MD, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY

References:

  1. Chapman CH, Hwang W-T, Wang X, Deville C. Factors that predict for representation of women in physician graduate medical education. Med Educ Online. 2019;24(1):1624132. doi:10.1080/10872981.2019.1624132
  2. Findlay BL, Manka MG, Bole R, Dodge NA, Thompson RH, Granberg CF. Defining the Current Landscape of Women in Urology: An Analysis of Female Applicants, Residents, and Faculty at AUA-Accredited Residency Programs. Urology. 2021;148:59-63. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2020.10.062

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