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Sexualıty and marıtal adjustment ın women wıth hypertensıon ın Turkey: how culture affects sex

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 33, pages 378–384 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

This study examined the relationship between sexual dysfunction and marital adjustment in women with hypertension and the effect of the cultures on the sexual problems of women. Mixed method was used in this study. The study was conducted as quantitative (in descriptive type) to examine sexual dysfunction and marital adjustment in women with hypertension and as qualitative to examine the effect of culture on the views of individuals on sexual problems. The study included 102 women who met inclusion criteria (who were on medication and had active sexual life for 1 year). Patient information form, Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (Female), and Marital Adjustment Test (MAT) were used to collect the data. The mean age of the subjects was found to be 55.10 ± 9.13, the mean duration of hypertension diagnosis was 8.66 ± 6.43, and the mean time to start was 7.87 ± 6.30. The mean duration of marriage for the women with hypertension was 34.08 ± 12.507. There was a negative correlation between sexual orientation, orgasm and sexual satisfaction from the subscales of ASEX and the overall scale (p < 0.05). Accordingly, as the adaptation in marriage diminished, sexual problems increased in women. As a result of the study, it was determined that HT had a negative effect on sexual functioning problems and marital adjustment, but women accepted this situation because of their culture, “women do not have the right to sexuality” and naturally accept the absence of sexuality after a certain age.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the associate professor Handan Zincir for their contribution and support during data collection and analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Diseases, Erciyes University, Faculty of Health Sciences, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey

    Ozlem Ceyhan

  2. Department of Public Health, Erciyes University, Faculty of Health Sciences, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey

    Betul Ozen

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Erciyes University, Faculty of Health Sciences, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey

    Nuray Simsek

  4. Department of Public Health, Bozok University, Health School, Yozgat, Turkey

    Aydan Dogan

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  1. Ozlem Ceyhan
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  2. Betul Ozen
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  4. Aydan Dogan
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Correspondence to Ozlem Ceyhan.

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All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Ethics Committee of Erciyes University of Medical Sciences and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Ceyhan, O., Ozen, B., Simsek, N. et al. Sexualıty and marıtal adjustment ın women wıth hypertensıon ın Turkey: how culture affects sex. J Hum Hypertens 33, 378–384 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-019-0181-3

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