Women in Poland visit a dentist twice as often as a gynecologist; Every fourth Polish woman does not regularly undergo cytology, and she often does mammography after receiving news that a person she knows has contracted breast cancer.
A study by Millward Brown SMG / KRC commissioned by the MSD Foundation for Women’s Health shows that 6 percent. women have never been to the gynecologist. They are mainly older women, over 55, with primary education, living in the countryside. 25 percent of women visit the gynecologist at least once every six months, and 38% – once a year.
The richer and better educated the respondents, the more often they go to the doctor and do tests. But Polish women tend to visit doctors only when something happens. They also most often visit a gynecologist during pregnancy, said Prof. Antonina Ostrowska from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
As much as 69 percent. women with primary education visited a gynecologist two years ago or earlier, and 15 percent. women over 55 have never had a mammogram. In turn, 25 percent. of women do not regularly perform Pap smears (19% do it once every three years or less, and 6% never).
It is disturbing that despite the general declarations of women about the understanding of the importance of preventive smear tests, in practice their knowledge of the subject is incomplete and full of stereotypes that lead to the belief that they are not affected by the risk of breast or cervical cancer. For example, as much as 47 percent. of women with primary education do not do smear tests, because they think that what should be will be as much as 45 percent. does not perform mammography tests when there is nothing wrong with them. On the other hand, 97 percent. of women are aware that regular Pap smear tests can protect against cervical cancer, and 96 percent. knows that regular mammograms detect breast cancer in its early stages.
Although there is more and more talk about prophylaxis, diagnostics is getting better, the incidence of breast cancer and cervical cancer is increasing – emphasized Prof. Violetta Skrzypulec, head of the Department of Women’s Health in the Silesian Medical University.
Prophylaxis concerns the most intimate parts of the body. On the one hand, women feel ashamed of it, because they are not taught how to get used to their body, how to talk about it; on the other hand, they are afraid of what will happen when they get sick. That is why education is so important – said Skrzypulec.
As a woman, mother of an adult daughter and a doctor, I believe that there is nothing easier in medicine than prophylaxis and nothing more difficult than understanding its importance – she added.
According to prof. Ostrowska, overcoming all these obstacles, resistance and stereotypes is one of the most important tasks of gynecological prophylaxis and requires the involvement of various entities. Prof. Skrzypulec noted that it is very important to talk about these matters with women in their own language; information should be varied and take into account the way they think about their own health.
The MSD for Women’s Health Foundation supports and initiates all activities aimed at disseminating knowledge about threats to women’s health and undertaking educational and promotional activities in this area. The Honorary Patronage of the Foundation was assumed by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
The study was conducted by Millward Brown SMG / KRC on behalf of the MSD Foundation for Women’s Health, on April 23-30, 2010, on a sample of 652 women aged 25-59 (PAP).