Over 3 million Polish women visit a gynecologist less than once a year or not at all. 40 percent women do not see such a need. Therefore, educating and encouraging Polish women to undergo regular gynecological examinations is the goal of the nationwide social and educational campaign “In the Women’s Interest”, which responds to these needs and takes into account the results of the latest segmentation study on gynecological care of women.
The campaign in May this year. will inaugurate a pilot of free gynecological consultations and examinations (cytology and ultrasound) under the slogan “(C) Examine yourself in women’s interest”, in selected cities of the Mazowieckie voivodship. For the purposes of the campaign, to support Polish women in taking care of their health, the “Calendar of gynecological examinations of every Polish woman” was developed in cooperation with the Polish Society of Oncological Gynecology.
The campaign was inspired by the report of the Supreme Audit Office entitled “Availability of gynecological and obstetric services financed from public funds in rural areas. 2016-2017 ”*, who pointed to the lack of equal access to outpatient gynecological and obstetric services in rural and urban-rural communes, incl. Mazowieckie voivodship. The campaign was initiated by Gedeon Richter, a company specializing in women’s health. For the purposes of the campaign, a study ** on gynecological care of women was also commissioned, which showed a great need for education.
– The aim of our campaign “In the interest of women” is to encourage all Polish women to visit a gynecologist on a regular basis and educate them on exercising the right to equal access to basic health services, including gynecology and obstetrics, regardless of age, property status or place of residence. Both the NIK report and the results of the research we commissioned confirm the territorial barriers, as well as the awareness of women. As a company supporting women and their health, we feel the need to really engage in overcoming these barriers – says Aneta Grzegorzewska, press spokesman at Gedeon Richter Polska.
During the campaign, a special mobile gynecological office will visit eight towns in the northern and eastern part of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, where free consultations with gynecologists as well as cytological and ultrasound tests will be carried out on weekends. According to the NIK report, the Mazowieckie voivodship where the research will take place has the second highest percentage of communes without gynecology and obstetrics clinics (61,8%).
The study on gynecological care of women, conducted in March 2019, shows that Polish women go to a gynecologist for the first time, most often because of pregnancy. Over 3 million women (24% of respondents) visit this specialist less often than once a year, despite the fact that 9,5 million Polish women (72%) are aware that regular visits to a gynecologist and tests allow to detect dangerous diseases. Regularly, every year, he visits a gynecologist and performs examinations of 57%. female respondents. Most often, younger women (26-30 years old) visit a specialist, and over 20% ladies over 55 years of age less than once every two years.
– Fears of visiting the gynecologist are most often associated with discomfort, stress, embarrassment and shame. According to research, some of us are also afraid of finding out about the disease or receiving a negative test result. Unfortunately, it is human nature that we avoid what is disturbing and uncomfortable for us, says Maria Rotkiel, a psychologist.
Gedeon Richter, whose mission is to care for women’s health, saw the need to create a tool that would help Polish women take care of regular examinations. Specially developed in cooperation with the Polish Society of Oncological Gynecology, “Calendar of gynecological examinations of every Polish woman” shows that women should regularly perform many types of tests, from cytology to vaginal ultrasound or breast ultrasound, but most of all make regular gynecological visits at least once a year. New prevention guidelines for contemporary women have been prepared as part of the inauguration of the social and educational campaign “In a woman’s interest”.
– There is still a lot to do in the field of gynecological prophylaxis. First of all, it is worth raising the awareness of women that their health depends mainly on their behavior, and a calendar will help in this correct approach to their own health – says prof. dr hab. n. med. Jan Kotarski, gynecologist and President of the Polish Society of Oncological Gynecology.
The campaign “In the female interest” was covered by the honorary patronage of the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship and the Supreme Chamber of Control, the substantive patronage of the Polish Society of Oncological Gynecology and the patronage of two patient organizations: the National Flower of Femininity Organization and the Magnolia Association of Women with Gynecological and Oncological Problems.
The route of free gynecological consultations and examinations for women as part of the “In the Women’s Interest” campaign:
- May 18 Ciechanów
- Przasnysz on May 19
- May 25 Ostrołęka
- June 1, Wyszków
- Siedlce on June 8
- June 9, Minsk Mazowiecki
- June 15 Garwolin
- June 16 Radom
The map of the places that will be visited by the mobile gynecological office during the “(Z) Research in Women’s Interest” campaign and the research calendar is available at: www.gedeonrichter.pl/wkobiecymotykie.
* https://www.nik.gov.pl/aktualnosci/wiejska-droga-do-ginekologa.html
** The survey was commissioned by Gedeon Richter by the research institute ARC Rynek i Opinia in March 2019 on a representative sample of N = 1022 women aged 16-65