Polish Journal of Public Health

Review Article, Pol J Public Health 2018;128(2):82-84

Anna Dudkowski-Sadowska

Dept. of Sociology of Health, Medicine and Family, Institute of Sociology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland

Independent Medical Sociology Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, Poland

DOI: 10.2478/pjph-2018-0015

© 2018 Medical University of Lublin. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonComercial-No Derivs licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)

Abstract

Over the last few years, relatively close attention has been paid to analysing the attitudes of women to routine health check-ups and their knowledge of the risks associated with cervical cancer and breast cancer. What could also provide inspiring insights for scientific exploration, not only in the context of prevention, are the relationships between gynaecologists and their patients, gynaecologist appointment experiences, and satisfaction with care quality. It is important to note that the fear of the gynaecologist could be a serious barrier for women, and having a doctor they can trust has a positive impact on the regularity of their appoint­ments. At the same time, negative experiences associated with the uneasy and perhaps embarrassing gynaecological examination, or doctor’s behaviour, are by no means the only reasons why women avoid such appointments. This article presents an up-to-date overview of the use of gynaecological care in Poland, along with findings from selected western studies.

Keywords: gynaecologist, gynaecologist appointment, patient’s perspective, gynaecological care in Poland.