The influence of inhomogeneity of particle density on the equation of state has been considered in the approximation of homogeneous fluctuations. The formula for the relative mean square fluctuation has been derived taking into account intermolecular interaction. It has been shown that the density fluctuations cannot be neglected near the coexistence curve. This curve has been obtained without recourse to the Maxwell construction; unphysical parts of the van der Waals isotherms in fact never appear in the theory. Experimental parameters have not been used.