ArticleCureus2026
Hidradenitis Suppurativa on TikTok: Representation, Treatment Messaging, and Psychosocial Themes.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHidradenitis suppurativa (HS) disproportionately affects women and individuals with skin of color (SOC) and is associated with a significant psychosocial burden. TikTok has become a major platform for HS storytelling, yet representation, treatment messaging, and psychosocial factors remain poorly characterized.
objectiveThe objective of this study is to characterize creator demographics, SOC representation, treatment discussions, and psychosocial themes in highly visible HS TikTok videos.
methodsWe performed a cross-sectional content analysis of the top 200 TikTok videos under four HS-related hashtags. After removing duplicates and unrelated posts, 133 videos were coded for creator type, content format, gender, Fitzpatrick type, treatment, and psychosocial themes. A 20% subsample was dual-coded to assess interrater reliability. Engagement rates were calculated, and group differences were assessed using t-tests and one-way analysis of variance.
resultsMost videos were created by patients (90%), with women representing the majority of creators (90%). Most videos were testimonials (80%). Representation of Fitzpatrick IV-VI was high (57%). Treatments discussed included guideline-supported therapies (24%), over-the-counter adjuncts (29%), and alternative remedies (19%). Psychosocial themes of empowerment (88%) and mental health (36%) were common. There was no significant difference in engagement across creator type, skin tone, or content format.
conclusionHS TikTok videos are dominated by women and SOC creators sharing testimonials about lived experiences. While psychosocial support is prominent, guideline-based treatment information and dermatology provider input are limited, highlighting an opportunity for clinicians to share accurate and inclusive HS education on social media.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.