Objective: This research report is a descriptive and cross-sectional study to investigate and compare the genital hygiene behaviors of pregnant, nonpregnant, and puerperal women.
Materials and Methods: The study included 304 pregnant, nonpregnant, and postpartum women in the 15–49-year age group, who presented at the Ege University Medical Faculty Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, between December 2015 and May 2016 and were accepted to participate in the study. The socio-demographic characteristics and gynecological characteristics of the subjects were collected by face-to-face interviews using the “Individual Presentation Form” and “Genital Hygiene Behavior Inventory.”
Results: Within the sample, 30.3% were nonpregnant women, 39.8% were pregnant women, and 29.9% were postpartum women. The mean age of the sample was found to be 30.0±7.59 years. When the inventory data of genital hygiene behaviors were examined, the mean of the total scaled score was 80.5±11.1; 78.5±11.9 for nonpregnant women; 80.4±10.6 for pregnant women; and 82.5±10.8 for postpartum women. No other statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the scale total point average was evident (p>0.05).
Conclusion: No statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of genital hygiene behaviors was evident, as the results of the study showed that the average of genital hygiene behavior scores of pregnant, nonpregnant, and postpartum women was not too high. However, only one-third of women had received education in genital hygiene in their life, therefore, some women tend to practice incorrect genital hygiene behavior. It is believed that an increase in the education can increase the usage of correct genital hygiene practices.