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Religiosity, Sexual Myths, and Sexual Distress in Muslim Turkish Women: A Cross-Sectional Study
Burcu Çakı Döner1, Zeynep Güngörmüş1, Elif Bayrakçı Eroğlu2
1Faculty of Health Science, Nursing Department, Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University, Gaziantep, Türkiye.
Objectives:
Among Turkish women, strong beliefs about sexual myths can increase sexual stress by driving sexual behavior, masturbation, sexual violence, and sexual gratification. Conversely, sexual stress can lead women to cling to sexual myths. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between sexual myths and sexual distress in Muslim Turkish women, and to determine the impact of sociodemographic characteristics, and religion, on these two variables.
Methods:
The data for this cross-sectional study was collected using the sociodemographic information form, the Sexual Myths Scale, and the Female Sexual Distress Scale. The data were collected between December 5, 2023, and June 9, 2024. The study was completed with 452 women. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 22 package program.
Results:
Participants' belief in sexual myths was found to be 76.77 ± 17.47 and their sexual distress score was 11.31 ± 9.55. It was observed that as women's belief in myths about gender (r: .159, p: .001), age and sexuality (r: .187, p < .001), and sexual behavior (r: .114, p: .015) increased, their sexual distress also increased. While women with a high subjective perception of religious belief were found to believe more in myths about sexual orientation, age and sexuality, masturbation, and sexual violence (p < .05); sexual distress did not differ according to subjective perception of religious belief (p > .05). Furthermore, it was determined that married participants, those with low education and income levels, and the unemployed were more likely to believe in sexual myths; while sexual distress differed according to education level and subjectively perceived quality of sexual life (p < .05).
Conclusion:
The findings suggest a mutually reinforcing relationship between sexual myths and sexual stress in women. Individuals' sociodemographic characteristics, particularly religion, also appear to significantly influence belief in sexual myths and sexual stress.
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