Evaluation of the relationship between genital hygiene status and urogenital system infections in women aged 15–49

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between genital hygiene behaviors and urogenital system infections in women aged 15–49 years. Additionally, considering women's anatomical susceptibility to urogenital infections, the study aims to help prevent improper genital hygiene practices. Materials and Methods: A descriptive survey model was applied in this research. The study sample consisted of 403 women aged 15–49 who were registered at Units 066 and 078 of Ordu University Family Health Center between 15.07.2024 and 15.01.2025 and who voluntarily participated through random sampling. After informing eligible participants about the study, consent was obtained, and a questionnaire developed based on the relevant literature was administered. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) 25.0 software. An independent samples t-test was used for comparisons between two variables, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for comparisons among multiple groups. The statistical significance level was set at p<0.05. Results: The study was conducted with 403 female participants. Among them, 16.4% (66 participants) were aged 18–20, 56.1% (226 participants) were aged 21–30, 20.3% (82 participants) were aged 31–40, and 7.2% (29 participants) were aged 41 and above. Regarding marital status, 37.2% (150) were married, 61.8% (249) were single, and 1.0% (4) were widowed or divorced. According to the findings, participants' age, marital status, education level, sexual experience, pregnancy history, childbirth history, miscarriage history, contraceptive methods, genital area cleaning habits and frequency, pubic hair removal methods, use of shared toilets, source of genital hygiene information, menstrual hygiene practices, and history of genital and urinary tract infections were found to be significantly associated with genital hygiene behavior levels (p<0.05). v Women who had experienced urinary and genital infections within the past year had significantly lower genital hygiene behavior scores. Furthermore, a positive and strong correlation was found between the frequency of recurrent genital infections and urinary tract infections (r=0.374; p<0.001). This finding indicates that insufficient genital hygiene is a common risk factor for both types of infections. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that women's genital hygiene behaviors are influenced by various individual, socio-demographic, and habitual factors. Insufficient hygiene practices pose a significant risk for both genital and urinary tract infections. Therefore, improving women's knowledge and awareness regarding hygiene-especially by strengthening counseling and educational activities in primary healthcare services- is of great importance for protecting public health. Keywords: Genital Hygiene, Urogenital Infections, Women Aged 15-49 years, Reproductive Health