For many women, the very thought of going to the gynaecologist brings a tightness in the throat and a knot in the stomach. During the pandemic, an additional worry appeared: “Any trip to the doctor could end in catching coronavirus.” It was fear that stopped people from taking care of themselves, including from attending gynaecological appointments. That is why the 2021 edition focused on breaking this barrier for the benefit of women across Poland.

Our 2021 research* showed that fewer than half of Polish women undergo regular gynaecological preventive examinations. This represented a 26% decline compared with 2020. Among respondents, 53% had not had a single gynaecological test since January 2020 (gynaecological ultrasound, smear test, HPV test) and 54% said they attended appointments less often, or stopped entirely, because of the pandemic. The main reasons were the lack of symptoms and a perceived lack of need for preventive tests, limited access to appointments and practice closures, and fear of COVID-19 infection.

Fear can be paralysing and often discourages any action at all, which, in the context of health and prevention, is simply dangerous. Could anything help? As many as 71% of women said support from loved ones, especially a husband or partner, would be helpful. This could be as simple as showing interest, asking how she feels, accompanying her to an appointment, or giving her a lift. Meanwhile, 32% of respondents admitted they try to cope with fear on their own.

Knowing that fear can be overcome, as long as it is understood and addressed, this became the central focus of our 2021 campaign. We developed a dedicated guide for men on how to help the women close to them manage their fear and take care of their health. Once again, our mobile clinic set off across Poland. We visited ten towns across four regions and screened 374 women. For sixty-one of them, the campaign proved particularly important – these patients required urgent treatment or were referred for hospital care.

Pobierz raport