The doctor pointed out the harm to women's health due to the rare visits of Russian women to a gynecologist.

Despite the high awareness of Russians about gynecological health, every third woman in the country turns to a gynecologist only when something bothers her. At the same time, about 10% of women self-medicate if they suspect a vulvovaginal infection (VVI). Such data was obtained during a survey of more than 1,200 Russian women over the age of 18, which was conducted by the pharmaceutical company Alcea in October 2025 using the online research service Yandex.View.

The majority of the study participants (60.6%) correctly identify OVI as inflammatory diseases of the external genital organs and vagina caused by various pathogens, and accurately identify the key symptoms: itching and burning (88.8%), unpleasant odor (75.4%), abundant vaginal discharge (68.6%), discoloration of discharge (59.9%). In matters of prevention, the respondents also demonstrate good awareness, highlighting regular hygiene (83%), a healthy lifestyle (72.4%) and the use of condoms (66%).

However, in practice, only 40.7% of Russians visit a gynecologist annually for preventive purposes. 28.6% make an appointment only when complaints arise, and 13% undergo an examination every two to three years. It is also alarming that every tenth woman with symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections chooses risky scenarios: self-selection of treatment based on information from the Internet, following the advice of her mother or friend, general strengthening of immunity or the expectation that "it will pass by itself."

"The main conclusion of the study is that there is a serious gap between knowledge and the real behavior of Russian women in matters of women's health. Only regular monitoring, refusal of self-medication and timely referral to a specialist in case of unpleasant sensations will effectively prevent the development of gynecological diseases. The challenge for modern society is to increase the culture of prevention," Kirill Sokolov, Medical director of Alcea, Kirill Sokolov, explained to Izvestia.

At the same time, expectations from the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections are becoming more and more pragmatic: almost half of the respondents (45.1%) consider a course of treatment lasting 4-7 days to be optimal, and one in five would prefer to cope with the infection in 1-3 days. This indicates a request for short and effective treatment regimens.

According to the Alcea company, such expectations are already reflected in modern medical developments.

"A recently completed clinical trial of one of the modern combined drugs of the new generation with a course of just three days confirmed its outstanding effectiveness — 97.8% of cases of complete cure for various forms of vulvovaginal infections, with 84% of patients noting a positive effect after the first application. This confirms that modern therapy can be not only effective, but also comfortable, contributing to an increase in patient adherence to treatment," says Sokolov.

At the same time, the expert emphasizes that even with convenient and fast treatment regimens, professional diagnosis and monitoring are essential. Only a doctor can accurately identify the causative agent of infection and prescribe adequate treatment, minimizing the risks of complications and chronization of the disease.

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