The ending of the 2023 film "Barbie," in which Barbie tells a receptionist she'd like to see her gynecologist, led to an increase in online search terms related to gynecology, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open.

Study details

For the study, researchers analyzed 34 search queries related to gynecology and found that, in the week following the release of "Barbie," there was a 51% increase in searches for "gynecologist" and "gynecology."

The researchers also found that definition searches like "gynecologist definition" and "What does a gynecologist do?" increased by 154% when compared to definition searches from the previous week.

When researchers looked into search trends for "gynecologist appointment," they found there was no difference when compared to the previous week, meaning the was no increase in search volume related to seeking care. However, the researchers noted that an increase in seeking gynecologic care might not be accurately captured by search trends.

"We don't know if this is going to impact people getting appointments further down the line, because we don't know who is searching for these things — but it's possible that something like this will spark … the curiosity that leads women to be more proactive in a couple of years from now," said Eva Sénéchal, lead author on the study and a graduate student researcher at McGill University.

Since the data came from public search engines, the researchers don't know the demographics of the searchers, and it's possible the searches were coming from people who don't need gynecologic care.

"I can imagine a 12-year-old boy going to see this movie with his sister, and he's never heard this term before. And maybe this is how he gets that motivation to learn about what it is," Sénéchal said. "Even if you don't need one, knowing things about women's health is important for being a good friend, relative and partner to a woman. So I just think it's great for public health literacy."

Discussion

Pop culture has had influences on public health behaviors in the past, CNN reports. For example, after "Today" host Katie Couric live streamed her colonoscopy in 2000, there was a 21% increase in colonoscopies shortly after. Similarly, after Angelina Jolie published an essay on having breast cancer, it was found that led to a 64% increase in genetic testing.

"By making these topics seem less abstract, scary or intimidating, by just alluding to them in movies and things that people consume in their everyday lives, it will also help people be more aware of something that women deal with in their everyday lives," Sénéchal said.

"Raising awareness is the first step," said Nitu Bajekal, a senior consultant obstetrician and gynecologist in London. "I know that from many of the situations where celebrities and movies talk about important health issues, there is an uptick in people researching it, and you never know who it might actually help."

"Anything that draws more attention to improving the health of all women — even if it's through the lens of Barbie — is a win in our book!" said Advisory Board's Kara Marlatt. "It's very exciting to see this much-needed momentum on women's healthcare take shape in 2024."

"We know that women are the Chief Medical Officers of their family's healthcare," Marlatt noted, "therefore, improving their health will improve the health of the entire family unit."

In a July 2023 interview, "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig said the scene was an attempt to "give girls that feeling of, 'Barbie does it, too.'"

"When I was a teenage girl, I remember growing up and being embarrassed about my body, and just feeling ashamed in a way that I couldn't even describe," Gerwig said. "It felt like everything had to be hidden."

"When somebody in the popular culture is actually smiling and looking happy when saying, 'I'm here to see my gynecologist,' to me, that is a positive note rather than somebody coming in looking fearful," Bajekal said. "Going to the gynecologist should not be filled with feelings of doom and gloom." (Nicioli, CNN, 7/25; Robertson, MedPage Today, 7/25)