title: What do portuguese women prefer regarding vaginal products? Results from a cross-sectional web-based survey.
abstract: Therapeutic outcomes of vaginal products depend not only on their ability to deliver drugs to or through the vagina but also on acceptability and correct use. Women's preferences, in turn, may vary according to age and cultural backgrounds. In this work, an anonymous online survey was completed by 2529 Portuguese women to assess their preferences for physical characteristics and mode of application of vaginal products, according to age. Additionally, intention to use and misconceptions about these issues were assessed. The majority of women of all age groups would use vaginal products to treat or prevent diseases, upon medical prescription. Women preferred vaginal products to be odorless and colorless gels, creams and ointments composed by natural origin drugs/excipients and applied by means of an applicator. Although the majority of women would prefer not to insert any product in the vagina, intention to use for self and recommendation to use for others was associated with previous experiences with vaginal products. General concerns and misconceptions related to use of vaginal products were rare. These data may contribute to the development of products that women are more prone to use.
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI: Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal. rpo@fcsaude.ubi.pt.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palmeira-de-Oliveira
authors.affiliation: NECE-Research Unit in Business Sciences, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6200-209 Covilhã, Portugal. pduarte@ubi.pt.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI: Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal. apo@fcsaude.ubi.pt.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmeira-de-Oliveira
authors.affiliation: INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, University of Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal. j.dasneves@ineb.up.pt.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: das Neves
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal. hamaral@ff.up.pt.
authors.forename: Maria Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI: Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal. luiza@fcsaude.ubi.pt.
authors.forename: Luiza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Breitenfeld
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI: Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal. jmo@fcsaude.ubi.pt.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinez-de-Oliveira