Sexual Myth Beliefs and Associated Factors in University Students

Year 2019, , 472 - 480, 20.12.2019

Servet Aker , Mustafa Şahin , Gülay Oğuz

https://doi.org/10.21763/tjfmpc.653462

Cited By: 9

Abstract

Background: Sexual myths are exaggerated, incorrect and unscientific ideas on sexuality that people believe to be true. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may be related to belief in sexual myth in university students. Methods: This study was performed in May 2016 among students from a university in Samsun, Turkey. Five hundred ninety-nine students consenting to participate were included. A questionnaire containing the Sexual Myths Scale (SMS), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised/Abbreviated Form, Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale and The Sexual Self-Schema Scale (SSS), together with a sociodemographic data form consisting of 15 questions drawn up by the authors, were used in this cross-sectional study. Results: SMS scores were significantly lower in females than in males. SMS scores were negatively correlated with maternal and paternal educational levels and positively correlated with religious belief. Students’ scores on the SMS increased as their political beliefs tended to the right and as their religious faith increased. Statistically significant correlation was also determined between students’ scores on the SSS and SMS.Conclusion: The most effective mean to preclude sexual prejudices is sexual education begins at an early age and continues throughout psychosexual development. The reasons for dysfunctional sexual beliefs must be revealed for planning a proper sexual education. These factors can be determined with multifaceted, wide-ranging research.


Giriş: Cinsel mitler, kişilerin cinsel konularda doğru olduğunu düşündükleri ancak çoğu zaman abartılı, yanlış ve bilimsel değeri bulunmayan inançlardır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinde cinsel mit inançları ile ilişkili faktörlerin değerlendirilmesidir.
Yöntem: Bu çalışma, 2016/Mayıs ayında Samsun’da üniversite öğrencilerinde yapılmıştır. Araştırmaya, çalışmaya katılmayı kabul eden 599 üniversite öğrencisi dâhil edilmiştir. Kesitsel tipteki bu çalışmada, araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan 15 sorudan oluşan sosyodemografik veri formu ile birlikte Cinsel Mitler Ölçeği, Eysenck Kişilik Anketi-Gözden Geçirilmiş Kısaltılmış Formu, Rosenberg Benlik Saygısı Ölçeği ve Cinsel Benlik Şeması Ölçeği’nin yer aldığı bir anket formu kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Kadınlarda erkeklere göre cinsel mitler ölçeği puanlarının istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde düşük olduğu saptanmıştır. Öğrencilerin cinsel mitler ölçeği puanları ile anne ve babasının eğitim düzeyi arasında olumsuz yönde, dindarlık düzeyi ile olumlu yönde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir korelasyon saptanmıştır. Öğrenciler, siyasi olarak sağ düşünceye yaklaştıkça ve psikotik kişilik özellikleri arttıkça cinsel mitler ölçeğinden aldıkları puanların arttığı saptanmıştır. Cinsel Benlik-Şeması Ölçeği puanları ile cinsel mitler ölçeği puanları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir korelasyon olduğu saptanmıştır. Sonuç: Kişinin cinsel önyargılardan kurtulmasının en etkin yolu erken yaşta başlayan ve psikoseksüel gelişim boyunca devam eden cinsel eğitimdir. İyi bir eğitimin planlanabilmesi için cinsel yanlış inançların nedenlerinin ortaya konması gerekmektedir. Çok yönlü, geniş kapsamlı yeni araştırmalar ile bu konunun aşılması mümkün olabilir.

Keywords

sexuality, sexual myths, Eysenck personality questionnaire revised-abbreviated form, the sexual self-schema scale

References

• 1. Gülsün M, Ak M, Bozkurt A. Marriage and sexuality from a psychiatric point of view. Curr Approaches Psychiatr 2009;1(1):68-79.
• 2. Zilbergeld B. The New Male Sexuality. (Revised Edition). NewYork: Batam Books; 1999.p.37-87.
• 3. Khazaeia M, Rostamib R, Zaryabic A. The Relationship between sexual dysfunctions and marital satisfaction in Iranian married students Procedia. Social and Behavioral Sciences 2011;30:783-85.
• 4. CETAD. Sexual Education, Treatment and Research Association. Sexual and reproductive health study; 2006. (cited 01 April 2019). Available from: http://www.cetad.org.tr/CetadData/Books/10/2692011154421-Arastirma_sonuclari_Dosyasi_1.pdf
• 5. Baker C, De Silva P. The relationship between male sexual dysfunction and belief in Zilbergeld's myths: An empirical investigation. Sex Marital Ther 1988;3:229-38.
• 6. Borg C, de Jong PJ, Schultz W. Vaginismus and dyspareunia: Relationship with general and sex-related moral standards. The Journal of Sexual Medicine 2008;8(1):223-31.
• 7.Nobre PJ, Pinto-GouveiaJ. Dysfunctional sexual beliefs as vulnerability factors to sexual dysfunction. Journal of Sex Research 2006;43(1):68-75.
• 8. Family and Social Policies Ministry, Ankara. Divorce Why Research; 2009 (cited 01 October 2017) Available from: http://ailetoplum.aile.gov.tr/data/54293ea2369dc32358ee2b25 /kutuphane_56_bosanma_nedenleri_arastirmasi.pdf
• 9. Leiblum S, Wiegel M, Brickle F. Sexual attitudes of US and Canadian medical students: The role of ethnicity, gender, religion and acculturation. Sex Relationship Ther 2003;18:473-91.
• 10. Dhall A. Adolescence: Myths and misconteptions. Health Millions 1995;21:26-30.
• 11. Apay ES, Nagorska M, Akpınar RB, Çelik AS, Binkowska-Bury M. Student comparison of sexual myths: Two-country case. Sex Disabil 2013;31:249-62.
• 12. Haslam N. Introduction to personality and intelligence. London: Sage Publications; 2007.p.3-12.
• 13. Markus H. Self-schemata and processing information about the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1977;42:63-78.
• 14. Bruch MA, Kaflowitz NG, Berger P. Self-schema for assertiveness: Extending the validity of the self-schema construct. Journal of Research in Personality 1988;22(4):424-44.
• 15. Koçak G, Fışılıoğlu H. A validity and reliability study of the sexual seif-schema scale among undergraduate students. Klinik Psikiyatri Dergisi 2010;13(4):159-69.
• 16. Rosenberg M. Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press; 1965.p.16-36.
• 17. Yörükoğlu A. Youth Age. 10th Edition. Ankara: Türkiye İş Bankası Yayınları; 1998.p.101-24.
• 18. Ergin A, Uzun SU, Bozkurt Aİ. Internet addiction prevalence and contributing factors in the medical faculty students. Pamukkale Tıp Dergisi 2013;6(3):134-42. (Turkish).
• 19. Currie CE, Elton RA, Todd J, Platt S. Indicators of socioeconomic status for adolescents: The WHO health behaviour in school-aged children survey. Health Educ Res 1997;12(3):385-97.
• 20. Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Development TÜBİTAK Turkey Demographic and Health Surveys 2013. Ankara; 2014.p.xxi-xxii.
• 21. Gölbası Z, Evcil F, Eroğlu K, Bircan H. Sexual Myths Scale (SMS): Development, validity and reliability in Turkey. Sex Disabil 2016;34(1):75-87.
• 22. Francis LJ, Brown LB, Philipchalk R. The development of an abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQR-A): Its use among students in England, Canada, the USA and Australia. Pers Individ Dif 1992;13:443-9.
• 23. Karancı N, Dirik G, Yorulmaz O. Reliability and validity studies of Turkish translation of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised abbreviated. Turkish Journal of Psychiatry 2007;18(3):1-8.
• 24. Lewis CA, Francis LJ, Shevlin M, Forrest S. Confirmatory factor analysis of the French translation of the abbreviated form of the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQR A). Europe J Psychol Assess 2002;18:179.
• 25. Çuhadaroğlu F. Self-esteem in adolescents. (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation) Hacettepe University, Ankara; 1986. p.20-60.
• 26. Hill DB. Differences and similarities in men’s and women’s sexual self schemas. Journal of Sex Research 2007;44(2):135-44.
• 27. Hendrickx K, Lodewijckx E, Van Royen P, Denekens J. Sexual behaviour of second generation Moroccan immigrants balancing between traditional attitudes and safe sex. Patient Educ Couns 2002;47(2):89-94.
• 28. Sungur MZ. Cultural factors in sex therapy: The Turkish experience. Sex Marital Ther 1999;14(2):165-71.
• 29. Kukulu K, Gürsoy E, Ak SG. Turkish university students beliefs in sexual myths. Sex Disabil 2009;27(1):49-59.
• 30. Kora K, Kayır A. Cinsel roller ve cinsel mitler. Düşünen Adam 1996;9:55-58. (Turkish).
• 31. Yazıcı S, Dolgun G, Zengin N, Bayram GO. The determination of university students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors on the matter of sexual health. Sex Disabil 2012;30:67-75.
• 32. Ziya ZA. The relatıonshıp between sexual myths, the level of sexual knowledge and sexual attıtudes among unıversıty students. (Unpublished Master's Thesis). Haliç University, İstanbul; 2015.p.28-73.
• 33. Torun F, Torun SD, Özaydın AN. Erkeklerde cinsel mitlere inanma oranlan ve mitlere inanmayı etkileyen faktörler. Düşünen Adam 2011;24 (1):24-31. (Turkish).
• 34. Yaşan A, Gürgen F. The ways to get sexual knowledge and the comparıson of the rate of sexual myths ın nurses who have sexual partners and who do not have. New Symposium Journal 2004;42(2):72-6.
• 35. Eşsizoğlu A, Yaşan A, Yıldırım EA. Premarital sexual experience and ıts relationship with conservative sexual myths in male university studens. New Symposium Journal 2009;47(2):80-90.
• 36. Aker S, Böke Ö. The effect of education on sexual beliefs of family physicians. International Journal of Sexual Health 2016;28(1):111-6.
• 37. Tannahill R. Sex in History. Gül S. (Translation). Ankara: Dost Kitabevi Yayınları; 2003. p.139-40.
• 38. Andersen BL, Cyranowski JM. Women’s sexual self-schema. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1994;67:1079-1100.
• 39. Koçak G. Sexual self-schemas: An exploration of their impact on frequency of masturbation and sexual activity, sexual satisfaction, and marital adjustment. (Unpublished Master’s Thesis) Middle East Technical University, Ankara. 2009. p.20-30.