Belief in sexual myths, sexual knowledge and self-esteem in female sexual dysfunction

The Statement of The Problem: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between sexual dysfunction in females and their belief in sexual myths, level of sexual knowledge and self-esteem. Method: A total of 492 adult females filled out online, a Sociodemografic Information Form, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Sexual Myth Evaluation Form, the Sexual Knowledge Level Form, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)/Short Form. In data analyses, frequency and normality distributions were established and Mann Whitney-U, Kruskal Wallis, Chi-square and Spearman's rho correlation analysis were performed. All tests were carried out via the SPSS 17.0 for windows package programme. Results: The sample had an average of 27,46±6,63 years of age. Those participants below a score of 26.55 on FSFI (26%) were considered to have sexual dysfunction whereas 74% scored above. Participants with and without sexual dysfunction did not differ significantly with respect to their sociodemographic features. Those with a university degree and a monthly income of 3000 TL and above had significantly higher self-esteem and those with lower educational levels had higher levels of belief in sexual myths. The sample's FSFI levels did not significantly correlate with age. The participants with sexual dysfunction had significantly higher levels of belief in sexual myths and lower levels of self-esteem and sexual knowledge, compared to the group without sexual dysfunction. When the relationships between the scales were examined, statistically significant correlations were observed between all FSFI (total and sub-dimension) scores and RSES and levels of belief in sexual myths. The results show a significant negative correlation between the self-esteem levels and the FSFI total and sub-dimension scores, such as arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction; whereas the sub-dimension of pain alone displayed a significant positive correlation. The scores of the Sexual Myth Evaluation Form showed a significant negative correlation with FSFI total as well as desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction sub-dimension scores. Conclusion: As a results of the research are evaluated, there is a correlation between female sexual dysfunctions and self-esteem of adult women with sexual myths and sexual knowledge levels. The level of sexual knowledge was observed to be lower in adult women with sexual dysfunction, when the groups with and without sexual dysfunction were compared in terms of sexual knowledge levels. As a result of the correlation analysis, it can be suggested that as sexual dysfunction increases, self esteem decreases and sexual dysfunction increases as the level of belief in sexual myths increases. Key words: Female sexual dysfunction, sexual myths, self-esteem, gender roles, sexual taboos