Online Information on Painful Sexual Dysfunction in Women: Quality Analysis of Websites in SPANISH about Dyspareunia, Vaginismus and Vulvodynia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the content, quality, and readability of websites containing information on dyspareunia, vaginismus, and vulvodynia in Spanish. Web pages were retrieved entering the terms “dyspareunia”, “vaginismus”, and “vulvodynia” in Google, Yahoo!, and Bing search engines. Two researchers employed the DISCERN and Bermúdez-Tamayo questionnaires to analyze the content and quality of the websites, and the INFLESZ scale to evaluate their readability. IBM SPSS® version 25 statistical software was employed for data analysis. The internet search yielded 262 websites, 91 of which were included after applying the selection criteria. Websites with information on dyspareunia obtained median scores of 24 (30–21) in the DISCERN, 38 (41.0–35.5) in the Bermúdez-Tamayo, and 55.3 (57.2–50.9) in the INFLESZ tools. The results for websites on vaginismus revealed median scores of 23.5 (30–20) in the DISCERN, 37 (42–35) in the Bermúdez-Tamayo, and 52.9 (55.6–46.4) in the INFLESZ. Finally, the median scores for vulvodynia sites was 25.5 (30–20) in the DISCERN, 38 (43–33.7) in the Bermúdez-Tamayo, and 54.2 (57.3–47.2) in the INFLESZ. These outcomes indicate that the quality of information in these websites is very low, while the overall quality of the web pages is moderate. Sites on vaginismus and vulvodynia were “somewhat difficult” to read, while readability was “normal” for websites on dyspareunia. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the shortcomings of these websites and address them through therapeutic education with resources containing updated, quality information. This raises the need for health professionals to generate these resources themselves or for experts and/or scientific societies in the field to check the quality and timeliness of the contents, regardless of whether or not the websites are endorsed with quality seals.