Google Trends and Syphilis.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to assess the correlation between Centers for Disease Control-reported syphilis incidence rates and case burden and public interest in syphilis as indicated by Google search trends.

Methods: This study utilized Google Trends data to analyze popular syphilis-related search terms from 2013 to 2023. The latest Centers for Disease Control-reported syphilis incidence rates for 2022 were compared to Google Trends data to identify patterns or correlations.

Results: Google Trends data showed a 37.65-percent increase in average annual searches for syphilis-related terms in the United States from 2013 to 2023. The largest increase in search volume was observed from 2021 to 2022, with a 14.09 percent rise. Mississippi had the highest ten-year average for syphilis-related search terms (97.9). Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Nevada, and Louisiana were among the top ten highest reported primary and secondary syphilis rates and were among the top ten states with the highest Google Trends search volume. Texas was the only state to be in the top ten highest Google Trend searches and among the top states with the highest reported absolute number of cases.

Limitaitons: Limitations include the inability for Google Trends analysis to provide absolute search volumes and limited transparency in its algorithm. Additionally, the study relies on data collected from internet users and may potentially exclude individuals without internet access.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that while public interest in syphilis is increasing overall, there may still exist disparities in awareness and education across different regions of the United States.