Relationship between the frequency and duration of masturbation and the sexual health literacy and sexual function of women in western Turkey: a cross-sectional study

Although sexual life and its knowledge are still taboo in many cultures, especially for women, it can negatively affect women's sexual health. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the frequency and duration of masturbation and the sexual health literacy among young Muslim women of reproductive age between 18 and 25 years living in western Turkey. The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 921 young women in western Turkey between March and December 2023. Participants were included in the study per the snowball method. The data consisted of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding masturbation, sexual life, and sexual health literacy. Data were obtained on an online platform and analyzed with SPSS (version 24; IBM). Difference, correlation, and regression analyses were performed. The significance level for statistical analyses was accepted as P