The Sexual Health Awareness Scale: Development, Validation, and Initial Applications

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: SIG-Adolescence and Youth Development Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

Sexual health is a critical yet often overlooked component of youth well-being and educational equity. In response to rising misinformation, social stigma, and behavioral risks among university students, this study developed a robust instrument to assess sexual health awareness. Grounded in the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model, an initial pool of 53 items was refined through expert review, cognitive pretesting, and pilot analysis. The resulting 30-item scale was administered to 604 students alongside the Sexual Myths Scale. Factor analyses supported a valid and reliable 25-item structure across three dimensions: Sexual Information, Sexual Self, and Sexual Behavioral Awareness (α = .957). This scale provides educators and researchers with a critical tool for designing, evaluating, and strengthening comprehensive sexuality education in higher education settings.

Authors

• Ozlem Sener, Bartin University

• Suleyman Kahraman, Beykent University