Determinaton of genital hygiene behaviour of women in Sanliurfa province and affecting factors

This study was conducted as a descriptive research to determine of genital hygiene behaviour of women in Şanlıurfa province and affecting factors. The research was conducted between July 2019 and February 2020 in Şanlıurfa Training and Research Hospital, Obstetrics & Gynecology Department with institutional permissions. The sample of the study consisted of 218 married women between the ages of 18-49, who applied to the department specified between the dates of the study, could communicate in Turkish and volunteer to participate in the study. "Data Collection Form" and "Behaviours of Genital Hygiene Inventory (BGHI)" were used to collect data. The high total score obtained from the inventory indicates that genital hygiene behaviors are at the desired level. The data were collected by the researcher through face-to-face interviews after the women were informed about the study and their consents were obtained. The statistical analysis of the data obtained from the research was done by using the IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 package program and the Independent Samples T Test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H, Mann-Whitney U tests and Correlation analysis were used. It was determined that the mean BGHI score of the women was 73,61±9,21 and slightly above the middle level. The mean GHBI scores were found to be significantly higher in women who had high education level, working in a job, good economic status, health insurance, living in a province or district, living in nuclear family, married at age 18 and above, whose spouse had high education level and working in a job (p <0.001). The mean GHDE score of women who had a previous experience of miscarriage was found to be significantly lower (p> 0.05). A negative, weak and statistically significant correlation was found between the duration of marriage, the number of pregnancies and births and the mean GHBI scores of women (p <0.05, p <0.001). The mean GHDE score was found to be significantly lower in women who live in slums with insufficient housing, heat with stove and electricity, have toilets outside the house, wash their clothes by hand, and take a bath once a week or less frequently (p <0.001). The mean GHDE score of women who did not have vaginal discharge in the last year and who stated that they received information about vaginal infection and genital hygiene were found to be significantly lower (p <0.05). According to the results obtained from the research; it is recommended that nurses take into account the socio demographic and obstetric characteristics, home environment and some hygiene behaviors determined to affect genital hygiene behaviors of women while providing training and counseling services that improve genital hygiene behaviors, and provide more training and counseling to risky groups. Key words: genital hygiene, vaginal infection, nursing