STAY SAFE WHEN USING AI AND SOCIAL MEDIA FOR INFORMATION ON GYNAE CANCERS
There are five gynaecological cancers – Womb, Ovarian, Cervical, Vulva and Vaginal – and they affect 22,050 women a year in the UK. That is 60 every day, and sadly, 21 will die too soon.
Getting diagnosed early gives the best possible chance of successful treatment, and to spot the signs of cancer, you need to know your body, know what to look for and feel empowered to speak up and get help quickly.
Yet a recent survey of 2,000 women found that only 1 in 3 could name a single gynaecological cancer; only 1in 3 had heard of HPV, and only 7 in 100 women felt they had a good understanding of gynae symptoms before experiencing them.
Increasingly, women are going online to find answers to their questions, resulting in misinformation. In the UK, the number of ChatGPT users totalled 16 million by September 2025. 66% of users say they turn to it for questions on health and well-being.
The Patient Information Forum found that 41% of consumers in the UK have been exposed to inaccurate or misleading health information in the last year.
Health information helps us to stay well. False health information can be dangerous.
The Eve Appeal charity tested ChatGPT and discovered it didn’t identify gynaecological cancers when asked about key ‘red flag’ symptoms. It also often shared inaccurate, outdated information, was irrelevant to the UK health system, or was not in line with NHS guidance.
When surveying over 2,000 women, it found that nearly 1 in 10 who had experienced gynaecological health issues had sought information and advice from AI platforms like ChatGPT.
Of these, 24% said they ‘felt reassured that they didn’t need to worry’ when asking about their gynae health symptoms, and less than a third said it left them feeling encouraged to see a doctor.
Only 16% said they didn’t fully trust the information they received on AI platforms like ChatGPT.
How can AI be used in health information?
Good health information is open about using AI; it is often used for studying research and translating websites or apps into other languages. For example, it will state ‘this website uses AI translation’.
What is generative AI (GAI)?
Generative AI (GAI) describes online tools or apps that give ‘generate’ answers to questions asked. It can create text, images and video.
When asked a question or a prompt, a GAI tool will search for data to provide an answer. ChatGPT, Co-pilot, Gemini and BLOOM are examples of GAI.
Can GAI be trusted to give accurate answers?
Not at the moment. GAI might give outdated answers or share misinformation based on the data it has searched. GAI can reflect racial, gender and other prejudices. If GAI cannot find useful data, it can sometimes invent answers that sound real.
Fact-check the answer given
Ask GAI where it got the information for its answers but be aware it may not give this information. If it does, take time to check the original website or other source.
Do not act on advice from GAI tools – always check health advice with a health professional.
Social media can be a great way to find health information. But there are risks when using and sharing content.
How to find and share trusted content:
- Look Beyond Likes – Look beyond big numbers. Do not trust posts just because a social media channel has lots of likes or followers.
- Fact Checks – Check how the social media channel deals with fake or misleading information. Does it flag suspicious content?
- Look for Trust Marks – See if the content has the PIF TICK or is on the You/tube Health Shelf.
- Look for Trusted Channels – Use channels from trusted sources like the NHS and health charities.
Help to stop the spread of false information. Before you share something you’ve read, watched or listened to, ask yourself: Is it reliable? Where did it come from? How does it make me feel?
Warning Signs to watch out for:
- ‘Miracle cure’ or ‘wonder drug’ – claims like this are designed to catch your attention. But they often lack evidence to support them. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Unreliable evidence – Be careful of information which does not include references or claims of big results. If you can, go to the source of the information and check any findings yourself.
- Bias – Check if the information is balanced. If it seems one-sided, think about why someone might have published it. For example, are they trying to sell you something?
So, during Women’s Health Week and throughout May, raise awareness of the dangers of online misinformation and help others to find trusted, accurate information.