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Abstract Background Genital hygiene behaviors are the care practices that individuals have developed with their knowledge, beliefs and habits. These behaviors and care practices may vary between individuals. The World Health Organization defines the 15–24 age group as youth, which includes young women of university age. This study aimed to compare the genital hygiene behaviors of native and immigrant female students enrolled in nonhealth departments at Mardin Artuklu University. Methods The study population consisted of female students (n = 5970) enrolled in nonhealth departments at Mardin Artuklu University. The sample size of the study was determined using power analysis and G*Power software. Each group (the immigrant group and the native group) comprised 165 individuals, with 330 individuals in total. The data collection tool consisted of two sections. The first section included a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, while the second section utilized the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale. Results The mean age of the students who participated in the study was 23.02 ± 4.42 years (Min: 17, Max: 50). The mean age of the native students was 23.12 ± 4.27 years (Min: 17, Max: 48), while the mean age of the immigrant students was 23.06 ± 4.72 years (Min: 18, Max: 50). Variables such as age group, income status, marital status, family type, social security, method of genital area cleansing, materials used, frequency of bathing, method of genital cleaning, underwear fabric, washing method, color, habit of hand washing before toilet use, regular menstruation, and presence of foul-smelling discharge were identified to create differences in terms of genital hygiene behaviors. Conclusions The scores on the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale for both native and immigrant students are not at the desired level. The general idea is that some sociodemographic characteristics and habits related to genital hygiene influence genital hygiene behaviors. To prevent reproductive health problems in both native and immigrant students at later ages, they should receive regular education on this topic.
İÇKE et al. (Thu,) studied this question.