Health profession students in Turkey generally had moderate belief levels in sexual myths and positive attitudes toward sexual health, with significant differences based on gender and education level, highlighting the need for integrating sexual health education into health curricula.
Health profession students demonstrated moderate levels of belief in sexual myths overall.
Health profession students showed generally positive attitudes toward sexual health in their future profession.
Significant differences in sexual myth beliefs and sexual health attitudes were found based on gender.
Significant differences in sexual myth beliefs and sexual health attitudes were found based on education level.
The authors concluded that sexual health education should be integrated into health profession curricula to promote evidence-based and inclusive professional practice.
This research suggests that health profession students in Turkey — people training to become doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers — hold moderate levels of belief in sexual myths and generally have positive attitudes toward addressing sexual health in their future careers. The study surveyed 420 students online in early 2023 using two validated tools: one measuring belief in sexual myths and another measuring attitudes toward sexual health. Importantly, the findings showed that students' gender and level of education made a meaningful difference in both how many sexual myths they believed and how positively they viewed sexual health as part of their professional role. This research suggests that even among students entering health professions, misconceptions about sexuality are not uncommon, and that these beliefs vary depending on who the student is and how far along they are in their training. This is significant because healthcare providers who hold sexual myths may be less likely to provide accurate, compassionate, and inclusive sexual health care to their patients. The practical implication of this research is that sexual health education should be formally built into the training programs for health profession students, rather than left to chance. By incorporating evidence-based sexual health content into curricula, future healthcare providers may be better equipped to address patients' sexual health needs without bias or misinformation, ultimately improving the quality of care.
Ozdilek R, Aksoy S, Dutucu N, Solt Kirca A. (2026). Sexual myths and sexual health attitudes among health profession students in Turkey.. African journal of reproductive health. https://doi.org/10.29063/ajrh2026/v30i1.7