The authors of the article describe barriers in access to gynaecological care in Poland and compare them to problems of health care encountered by women in other developing countries. The authors defend the thesis that in periphery and semi-periphery societies, despite some local differences, women from rural areas have similar obstacles to access to care in health centers. At the same time, they emphasize that the spatial distance between women from rural areas and urban health centers usually goes hand in hand with other social obstacles: economic, cultural and ideological pressure.