Özet:

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of an education program at the Mother and Child Health and Family Planning Center on the genital hygiene behaviors of women between the ages of 18 and 49 who use an intrauterine device (IUD) or take oral contraceptive pills (OCP). METHODS: The research was a quasi-experimental study using a pre-test and post-test. The data were collected between October 1, 2011 and February 15, 2012. One-hundred and sixty-five consenting women between the ages of 18 and 49 who used the center over the specified period and applied IUD or OCP were accepted into the study. A questionnaire on demographic characteristics and a General Hygiene Behavior Inventory were used in data collection. After the pretest was administered, the group was given 2 sessions of reciprocal training and 2 sessions of telephone training within the four months determined in a work plan. A post-test was administered two months later. The data were evaluated using percentages, means, standard deviation, independent samples-t, Paired-t, chi-square and ANOVA tests. RESULTS: The women exhibited significant differences in mean scores on the general hygiene inventory before and after the education program (OCP group before education:  56.97±4.7; after education 92.60±4.0; RIA group before education:  55.34±4.5; after education 77.19±3.4). There were no statistical differences in the general hygiene scores before and after the education program regarding the women’s socio-demographic characteristics or their use of family planning methods (p>;0.05). CONCLUSION: Individual education is effective in teaching women appropriate hygiene behaviors.

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