Özet:

The aim of this study is to examine the genital hygiene behavior of female students studying at the faculty of health sciences. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 354 female students who were continuing their education at a foundation university between September 2018 and March 2019 and agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected using the "Individual Characteristics Questionnaire" and the "Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale". It was determined that the average age of the students was 20.89±1.66, 58.5% of the participants had a small amount of vaginal discharge, clear, odorless, colorless vaginal discharge and 82.2% of them saw the current discharge status as normal. Total mean scores of the first and second year students on the Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale were 93.77±9.39 and 95.16±10, respectively. The total scores of the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale were found to be significantly higher in students with less vaginal discharge, clear, odorless and colorless discharge than the others (p<0.001). A positive significant correlation was found between age and Abnormal Symptom Awareness sub-dimension (r=0.115; p=0.030). Students' Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale mean score was 94.09±9.54; General Hygiene Habits Sub-scale score was 49.39±5.41, Menstrual Hygiene Sub-scale score was 33.46±4.03, Abnormal Symptom Awareness Sub-scale score was 11.24±2.93. The study findings showed that the students with normal vaginal discharge had better genital hygiene behaviors, and the general hygiene habits of the students who thought that the vaginal discharge status were better than the others. The findings showed that abnormal symptom awareness was positively affected as the age increased.

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