Double Standard for Traditional Value of Virginity and Premarital Sexuality in Turkey: A University Students Case

Abstract

This study investigates the prevalence of myths regarding virginity and the hymen and their associations with sexuality prior to marriage. This study was conducted with 534 single, heterosexual male and female students from various faculties of Dicle University in Turkey. The findings demonstrated that the rates of masturbation (11.1%) and premarital sexual intercourse (4.3%) were much lower in women than in men (87.7% and 44.2% respectively) who were traditionally expected to maintain their virginity until marriage. A higher degree of commitment to religious faith was associated with a lower rate of masturbation and sexual contact experience. Also, the myth that the hymen symbolized virginity was slightly more prevalent among male students (74.2% vs. 72.1%). Female virginity was significantly more important among male students (76.7%) than females (11.1%), and male students more frequently (30.1% vs. 11.1%) stated that "the blood-stained bed sheet" should be displayed to the family on the day of marriage. Although some myths about virginity were frequently reported by females, less significance was attributed to virginity by females than by males. In conclusion, the traditional social structure that incites sexual double standards still prevails over the sexual attitudes and behaviors of university students in Turkey.

Prevalence of Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration in a Sample of Female and Male College Students in Turkey

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“We are Arabs:” The Embodiment of Virginity Through Arab and Arab American Women’s Lived Experiences

“…Historically, the distinction between virginity and virginity loss has been the first penile-vaginal intercourse (Humphreys 2012) and presence of a hymen (Amy 2008; Cinthio 2015; Cook and Dickens 2009; Eşizoğlu et al 2011); this notion was also conveyed by the ten participants. However, meanings of virginity have been also reported to be more abstract and related to the sexual experience (Carpenter 2005).…”

Effects of gender and sex-role orientation on sexual attitudes among Turkish university students

“…Although many changes have taken place as part of the modernization of Turkey, cultural and traditional views of sexuality seem resistant to some of these influences. For instance, the double standards for male and female sexuality and virginity, and traditional myths regarding the hymen are still prevalent (Cok & Gray, 2007;Eşsizoğlu, Yasan, Yildirim, Gurgen, & Ozkan, 2011). The majority of male students approved of premarital sexual intercourse for men but not for women according to the findings in a study by Gelbal, Duyan, and Öztürk (2008).…”