Development of a YouTube Channel to Disseminate Culturally Relevant Cervical Cancer Education Videos to Young Adults in Ghana, West Africa

Cervical cancer is a highly preventable and treatable disease when precancerous and cancerous changes on the cervix are detected early. The reduction in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in developing countries has been attributed to the regular use of cervical cancer screening tools. The age standardized cervical cancer mortality rate in Ghana, West Africa is more than three times the global cervical cancer mortality rate (27.6/1000,000 vs 7.8/100,000 respectively). Two forms of cervical cancer screening, the Pap smear and visual inspection, are available throughout Ghana. Less that 4% of Ghanaian women get a cervical cancer screening every 3 years as recommended by the World Health Organization. The lack of accurate knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors, stigmatization, and cultural taboos appear to be major barriers to the use of cervical cancer screenings for some Ghanaian women. The use of social media, such as YouTube, is very common among young adults in Ghana. A YouTube channel was created to disseminate culturally relevant cervical cancer education videos to the target audience with the goal of increasing their awareness about cervical cancer and cervical cancer screenings. This presentation will provide an overview of the development of a multifaceted cervical cancer education intervention that is culturally appropriate for Ghanaian women and men. Examples of educational videos will be presented and the potential impact of using social media to deliver cancer information to young adults in Ghana will be discussed. Lessons learned during the development and implementation of this YouTube channel will be presented.