Perspectives on Sexuality of Married Women Living in Malazgirt District

Abstract

Aim: This study was carried out in order to determine the sexuality perspectives of 20 married women living in Malazgirt district, and to discover their sexual cultural behavior patterns, which are described as a private area and are not easy to share with others. Method: The study group consisted of 20 married women with an average age of 35.8 years living in Malazgirt. The data were collected by in-depth face-to-face interview technique using a structured interview form. The obtained qualitative data were first coded in the computer environment qualitatively and then quantitatively, and analyzed with the help of SPSS (22.0) package program. Results: In Malazgirt, sexual issues are still considered as a very private area. The average age of the women participating in the study was 35.8, but only one third of them perceived sexuality positively and used expressions in this direction. The vast majority of women either ignored sexuality or considered it an ordinary ask. The times of sexual intercourse were limited according to the family structure and child status; the large family structure and the number of children were effective in this. Approximately one-third of the participants received information about sexuality from their families, and one-third from their spouses. The rate of those who get information about sexuality from the media is surprisingly low (6.9%). Conclusion: It has been shown that the married women, living in Malazgirt district, who participated in the study, are restricted in exercising their free will in relation to sexuality and sexual intercourse, that they feel pressured, and that therefore a considerable number of the participants do not realize their sexual needs and desires at the level of satisfaction. Although a significant number of women use sexuality as a means of power against their husbands to achieve their goals, the fact that they do not know that sexual desire and desire is a right and an important need for women as well as for men, or that they consider it a shame and a sin, has created a barrier to the expression of their sexual feelings. Training women to correct misinformation, prejudices, and perceptions about sexuality, as well as encouraging and supporting their participation in training, will facilitate the solution to the problem. In this way, a more egalitarian social structure can be created.