Epithelial ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecologic malignancies, affecting 1 in 80 women, with fewer than 50% surviving five years after diagnosis. Approximately 90% of cases originate in the fallopian tubes (Lheureux et al., 2019). In 2015, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended bilateral salpingectomy as the standard of care for ovarian cancer prevention during surgical sterilization and hysterectomy (Committee on Gynecologic Practice 2015). Despite this, patient awareness of salpingectomy and its preventive benefits remains limited. Existing reproductive health and pregnancy prevention resources fail to distinguish between, or even include, salpingectomy and tubal ligation, contributing to confusion and missed opportunities for cancer prevention.
For the first time, salpingectomy-centered education was integrated into a comprehensive suite of multimedia resources, framed through patient perspective and guided by the lens of ovarian cancer prevention rather than pregnancy prevention alone. These materials were designed for patient use, with particular attention to visual clarity, accessible language, and cultural responsiveness. Development was informed by clinical shadowing, IRB-approved workshop participation, and collaboration with OB/GYN providers, legal advisors, and patient education specialists. All resources were translated into Spanish to expand accessibility. The prototypes developed include: 1) a 2D animation (ninety seconds) explaining the link between contraception and ovarian cancer risk; 2) three versions of comprehensive posters about contraception, juxtaposing pregnancy prevention and ovarian cancer risk reduction; 3) a trifold brochure contrasting salpingectomy with tubal ligation; 4) a Unity-based interactive module with manipulable 3D models of female reproductive anatomy; 5) a plain-language glossary with a simplified definition and pronunciation guide for forty relevant terms; and 6) the first procedure-specific surgical consent forms for salpingectomy and tubal ligation, approved for implementation at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Developed with iterative feedback from patients and providers, these educational resources offer a scalable model for improving informed consent and lifelong reproductive health education. Future work will involve formal user feedback to assess impact and to support continued refinement. Together, these resources represent a novel, patient-centered advancement in ovarian cancer education. They offer opportunities to create actionable awareness about the benefits of salpingectomy for ovarian cancer prevention for all
