The Effect of Gender Education Provided to Health Sciences Students on Gender Perception and Roles

EDUCATION

Gender education, Gender perception, Gender roles

Sexual health is a fundamental component of living a healthy and fulfilling life. However, in societies where sexual health education is inadequate, factors such as social norms and gender inequality hinder individuals from properly understanding sexual health and developing healthy sexual behaviors. The gender roles established by society and the stereotypes associated with these roles shape individuals' sexual identities and experiences, often based on narrow and rigid views of masculinity and femininity. In societies where gender roles are strictly defined, such norms can place serious limitations on individuals' sexual rights, freedoms, and ability to form healthy relationships. In this context, sexual health education plays a vital role in raising awareness about societal norms and helping transform these norms. Gender inequality is another major barrier that complicates the accurate understanding of sexual health. In many communities, especially for women, sexual rights are limited due to cultural values, traditional beliefs, and social pressures. This restricts their access to sexual health services and their ability to protect themselves. Sexual health education aims to eliminate these inequalities and ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender, can maintain a healthy sexual life with equal rights. These educational efforts not only create awareness about gender inequality but also support the promotion of healthy and safe sexual behaviors.

Implementation of the Study Participants will be informed that no financial compensation will be provided for participation, and this will be clearly stated in the written informed consent form. Following the approval of the ethics committee, institutional permission will be obtained from Istanbul Aydın University, where the study will be conducted. The study will take place at the Faculty of Health Sciences, where one of the researchers, Beyzanur İşbay Aydemir, is affiliated. Students enrolled in various departments (e.g., Nursing, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Audiology) within the Faculty of Health Sciences who voluntarily agree to participate will be included in the study. Data will be collected using a Diagnostic Form, the Gender Perception Scale, and the Attitude Scale Towards Gender Roles. Participants who agree to join the study will be fully informed by the researcher about the purpose, scope, and procedures of the research. After this briefing, both verbal and written informed consent will be obtained, and the forms will be completed. To inform and invite students to the study, a research announcement poster will be prepared and displayed on bulletin boards throughout the Faculty of Health Sciences campus. In addition, faculty members teaching in relevant departments will be asked to provide a brief explanation of the study during class and to encourage student participation. This strategy aims to increase awareness of the study and reach a broader group of students. The research will utilize a pre-test-post-test control group experimental design. Students who provide informed consent and meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups using the simple randomization method. This random assignment will be conducted using computer-based software (e.g., randomizer.org), ensuring an unbiased and balanced distribution across the study groups.

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Turkey (Türkiye)