Current practices of intimate hygiene: a comparative analysis of awareness among patients, students, and healthcare professionals

Background: The relevance of the study is attributable to the importance of intimate hygiene as an essential component of the prevention of various skin and venereal diseases. Despite medical awareness, modern studies demonstrate an insufficient level of knowledge about the rules of intimate hygiene, both among the population and among healthcare professionals. The presented study is aimed at a comparative analysis of awareness of intimate hygiene issues among three key groups: students as representatives of the younger generation, patients, and healthcare professionals (obstetricians-gynecologists) as experts in this field.

Objective: Comparative analysis of awareness in the field of intimate hygiene among patients, students, and healthcare professionals (obstetricians-gynecologists).

Material and methods: From September to December 2024, two interconnected sociological studies were conducted using the anonymous remote survey method by the Yandex Forms platform. All respondents were city residents of Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow. The first study covered 564 students of NSMU (Novosibirsk), the second – 605 respondents, of which 242 were obstetricians-gynecologists and 363 were patients (Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow). Both studies used a questionnaire specially developed by the staff of the Department of Dermatovenereology of NSMU, consisting of 40 questions adapted for each group of respondents. Statistical analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel and SPSS using the χ² criterion and Student’s t-test at a significance level of p<0.05. Results and discussion: The results obtained demonstrate an alarming trend of insufficient awareness of young people in matters of intimate hygiene. Of particular concern is the fact that even among healthcare workers, only 47% comply with the recommended frequency of hygiene procedures. The differences in the use of special products (antibacterial gels) between the groups require further study.

Conclusion: The study confirmed the presence of significant gaps in knowledge and practical skills of intimate hygiene among all the study groups. The most pronounced deficiencies were identified among the student population. The data obtained indicate the need to develop educational programs for young people and conduct regular training events for healthcare workers.