Intimate hygiene literacy among young people: challenges and ways to raise awareness

Intimate hygiene is a critical factor in preventing infectious and inflammatory diseases of the urogenital tract. Essential hygiene habits are established during adolescence, a period when young people are particularly vulnerable to misinformation. Modern scientific research reveals a troubling trend: young people often lack sufficient knowledge of intimate hygiene, as evidenced by their use of inappropriate hygiene products and failure to maintain optimal hygiene procedures. Of particular concern is that many adolescents obtain information from unreliable sources, which often leads to the adoption of harmful practices. However, traditional educational programs in schools and universities pay insufficient attention to this important aspect of health. The study objective is to comprehensively assess the level of awareness regarding intimate hygiene among young people and identify the most common misconceptions. A survey of students revealed the primary errors young people make when caring for their intimate skin. It was found that only 29.0% of respondents perform intimate hygiene (washing) twice daily. Furthermore, the majority of young people (58.0%) do not use a separate towel for the anogenital area. Notably, 17.0% of the surveyed students use antibacterial gel for intimate hygiene, with 26.0% of this group using it on a regular basis. The performed scientific study highlights a significant lack of intimate hygiene awareness among students. These findings underscore the need to develop and implement comprehensive educational programs to promote proper hygiene practices among young people.