1. Home
  2. Vol 29, No 3 (2025)
  3. Değer

Attitudes of health sciences students in Turkey towards individuals with different sexual orientations

Vasfiye B. Değer(1), Havva Kaçan(2),


(1) Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Mardin Artuklu University, Mardin, Türkiye
(2) Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Türkiye
Corresponding Author

Abstract


Study was planned in a descriptive design to examine how the empathic tendencies of students in the Faculty of Health Sciences affect their attitudes toward individuals who have different sexual orientations and was conducted with seven hundred and six students. The data collected online using the Student Information Form, Empathic Tendency Scale (ETS) and Attitudes Toward Lesbian and Gay Men Scale (ATLGS). Participants’ mean scores were 62.98±18.79 on the ESS and 29.02±10.75 on the ATLGS. When the correlation between ETS and ATLGS scores was analyzed, a positive and moderate (p<0.05) correlation (r = 0.62) was found between ETS and ATLGS scores.These scores were moderate and the correlation between ETS and ATLGS scores was significant (F=438.585; p<0.05). Empathic disposition explained 38.3% of the total change in ATLGS level (R2=0.383) and increased ATLGS level (ß=0.620). It was found that as students' empathic skills improved, their homophobic attitudes decreased.

References


World Health Organization. Sexual and Reproductive

Health

and

Research

https://www.who.int/teams/sexual-and

(SRH).

reproductive-health-and-research-(srh)/overview

Yılmaz B and Oskay Ü. Cinsel Yönelimlerde (Homo

Biseksüel ve Transseksüel) Kadın Cinselliği.

Turkiye Klinikleri Obstetric-Women's Health and

Diseases Nursing-Special Topics 2022; 8(3): 18-24.

Set Z and Akyıldız A. Sexual Abuse in Children and

Adolescent LGBT Individuals. 2nd International

Congress On New Horizons In Education And Social

Sciences (ICES - 2019) Proceedings, June 18-19,

,

Istanbul-TURKEY.

21733/ibad.584700

-306.

Doi:

Awe AM, Burkbauer L. and Pascarella L. Surgical

Implications of LGBTQ+ Health Disparities: A

Review. Am Surg 2022; 88(12): 2786-2795. doi:

1177/00031348221096577

Wilton T. Sexualities in health and social care: a textbook.

Open University Press: University of California.

Sandfort TGM, Baumann LRM, Matebeni Z, Reddy V. and

Southey-Swartz I. Forced sexual experiences as risk

factor for self-reported HIV infection among

Southern African lesbian and bisexual women. PLoS

ONE

;

(1):

1371/journal.pone.0053552.

e53552.

doi:

King M and Nazareth I. The health of people classified as

lesbian, gay and bisexual attending family

practitioners in London: a controlled study. BMC

Public Health 2006; 13: 127. doi: 10.1186/1471

-6-127.

Bostwick WB, Boyd CJ, Hughes TL and McCabe SE.

Dimensions of sexual orientation and the prevalence

of mood and anxiety disorders in the United States.

Am J Public Health 2010; 13(3): 468–475. doi:

2105/AJPH.2008.152942.

Kulkin HS, Williams J, Borne HF, de la Bretonne D and

Laurendine J. A review of research on violence in

same-gender couples: a resource for clinicians. J

Homosex

;

(4):

1080/00918360802101385.

–87.

doi:

Marrazzo JM, Thomas KK, Fiedler TL, Ringwood K and

Fredricks DN. Risks for acquisition of bacterial

vaginosis among women who report sex with

women: a cohort study. PLoS One 2010; 13(6):

e11139. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011139.

Beehler GP. Confronting the Culture of Medicine: Gay

Men’s Experiences with Primary Care Physicians. J

Gay Lesbian Med Assoc 2001; 13(4): 135–141. doi:

1023/A:1014210027301.

Eliason MJ and Schope R. Does “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”

apply to health care? lesbian, gay, and bisexual

people’s disclosure to health care providers. J Gay

Lesbian Med. Assoc 2001; 13(4): 125–134. doi:

1023/A:1014257910462.

Müller A. Teaching lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender

health in a South African health sciences faculty:

addressing the gap. BMC Med Educ 2013; 13: 174.

doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-13-174.

Etkili GB and Çam MO. Bakım Sürecinde Zorlandığımız

Alan LGBTİ'ye Yönelik bir Gözden Geçirme.

Psikiyatri Hemşireliği Dergisi 2017; 8(3): 179-187.

Küçükkaya B and Süt HK. Hemşirelik Bölümü

Öğrencilerinin

Lezbiyen,

Gey,

Biseksüel,

Transgender ve İnterseks (LGBTİ) Bireylere İlişkin

Tutumlar. Sted Dergisi 2018; 27(6): 373-383.

Sadıç E and Beydağ KD. Hemşirelik Öğrencilerinin

Lezbiyen Ve Geylere Yönelik Tutumları ve

Etkileyen Faktörler. Hemşirelik Bilimi Dergisi 2018;

(2): 5-13.

Ekmekçi PE and Arda B. An overview of LGBT rights and

health legislation in Turkey from an ethical

perspective. Med Law 2017; 36(3): 23-40.

Şahin AZ and Özdemir KF. Hemşirelerin İletişim ve

Empati Beceri Düzeylerinin Belirlenmesi. G.O.P.

Taksim E.A.H. Jaren 2015; 1(1): 1-7.

Karaca A, Açıkgöz F and Akkuş D. Eğitim ile Empatik

Beceri ve Empatik Eğilim Geliştirilebilir mi?: Bir

Sağlık Yüksekokulu Örneği. Acıbadem Üniversitesi

Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi 2013; (4): 118-122.

Cevahir R, Çınar N, Sözeri C, Şahin S and Kuğuoğlu S.

Ebelik öğrencilerinin devam ettikleri sınıflara göre

empatik becerilerinin değerlendirilmesi [Evaluation

of the empathic skills of midwifery students with

respect to the classes they are attending]. Fırat Sağlık

Hizmetleri Dergisi 2008; 3(7): 6-7.

Özdelikara A and Babur S. Hemşirelik öğrencilerinin

merhamet düzeyi ve empatik eğilim ilişkisi.

Acıbadem Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi

; (2): 342-349.

Bekmezci H, Yurttaş Ç and Özkan H. Ebelik Bölümü

Öğrencilerinin

Empatik Eğilim Düzeylerinin

Belirlenmesi. Sağlık Bil Derg 2015; 2: 46–54.

Priscilla S and Dillman Don A. How to Conduct Your Own

Survey, John Wiley & Sons. Inc. Newyork. 1994. s.

Herek GM. The Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men

(ATLG) scale. In C.M. Davis, W.H. Yarber, R.

Bauserman, G. Schreer, & S.L. Davis (Eds.),

Sexuality-related

measures:

A compendium.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 1998.

Duyan V and Gelbal S. “Lezbiyen ve geylere yönelik tutum

(LGYT) ölçeği: Güvenirlik ve geçerlik çalışması”.

HIV/AIDS Dergisi 2004; 7(3): 106-112.

Dökmen Ü. Empatinin Yeni Bir Modele Dayanılarak

Ölçülmesi ve Psikodrama ile Geliştirilmesi. Ankara

Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi 1988;

(1): 155-190.

Çiçekoğlu Öztürk P and Özyurt Duran S. "Hemşirelik

Öğrencilerinin

Homofobik Tutumu, Empatik

Becerileri ve Etkileyen Faktörlerin İncelenmesi".

Hacettepe Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Fakültesi Dergisi

; 9(2 ): 207-215.

Özyurt BE and Duyan V. “The Comparison of

Grandparents‟, Parents‟, and Young People's

Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men in Turkey”.

Journal of LGBT Family Studies 2017; 13(1): 40-55.

Steffens MC and Wagner C. “Attitudes toward lesbians,

gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men in

Germany”. J Sex Res 2004; 41(2): 137–149.

Jones MK, Pynor RA, Sullivan G and Weerakoon P. “A

study of attitudes toward sexuality issues among

health care students in Australia”. J Lesbian Stud

; 6(3): 73-86. doi: 10.1300/J155v06n03_07.

Bahadır Z and Yücel H. Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi

Öğrencilerinin Lezbiyen ve Geylere Yönelik

Tutumlarının İncelenmesi. Euroasia Journal of

Mathematics, Engineering, Natural & Medical

Sciences 2022; 9(23): 51–59.

Bakır Ayğar B, Gündoğdu M and Ayğar H. “Mersin

Üniversitesi

Eğitim Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin

Eşcinsellere Yönelik Tutumları”. Uluslararası Sosyal

Araştırmalar Dergisi 2015; 8(41): 769-777.

Wahlen R, Bize R, Wang J, Merglen A and Ambresin AE.

Medical students' knowledge of and attitudes toward

LGBT people and their health care needs: Impact of

a lecture on LGBT health. PLoS One 2020; 15(7):

e0234743. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234743.

Özdemir RC and Erenoğlu R. Attitudes of nursing students

toward LGBT individuals and the affecting factors.

Perspect Psychiatr Care 2022; 58(1): 239-247. doi:

1111/ppc.12941.

Marsden AD and Barnett MD. The role of empathy in the

relationship between social political ideology and

sexual prejudice in heterosexual college students in

the U.S. Arch Sex Behav 2020; 49(5): 1853–1861.

Öztürk A and Demirden A. Empathic Approach to

Reducing the Homophobic Attitudes of Nursing

Undergraduate Students Toward Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Individuals. Int J

Caring Sci 2023; 16(1): 361-370.

Chaux E and León M. Homophobic Attitudes and

Associated Factors Among Adolescents: A

Comparison of Six Latin American Countries. J

Homosex

;

:

–1276.

1080/00918369.2016.1151697.

doi:

İpek Efe R and Türk Delibalta R. "Üniversite

Öğrencilerinin Eşcinselliğe İlişkin Görüşlerinin

Belirlenmesi". Yaşam Boyu Hemşirelik Dergisi

; 3(1): 36-55.

Bostanci Daştan N. The attitudes of nursing students toward

lesbians and gay males in Turkey. Int J Nurs Pract

; 21(4): 376-82. doi: 10.1111/ijn.12294.

Saraç L. Beden eğitimi öğretmen adaylarının eşcinsellere

yönelik bilgileri, tutumları ve dindarlık düzeyleri

arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Pamukkale Journal

of Sport Sciences 2014; 5: 77-9.

Whitley BE. Gender-role variables and attitudes toward

homosexuality. Sex Roles 2001; 45(11):691-721.

Yüksel R, Arslantaş H, Eskin M and Kızılkaya M. Hemşire

Öğrencilerin Eşcinsel Bireylere Yönelik Tutumlarını

Etkileyen Faktörler. In Yeni Symposium. 2020;

(1): 18-25.

Vegter A and Haider-Markel DP. "The Special Role of

Religion

in

Research

Lgbt-Related Attitudes." Oxford

Encyclopedia

of

Politics.

https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.01

1254

Adamczyk A and Pitt C. "Shaping Attitudes About

Homosexuality: The Role of Religion and Cultural

Context". Social Science Research 2009; 38(2): 338

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.01.002

Taşdemir N and Sakallı-Uğurlu N. The relationships

between ambivalent sexism and religiosity among

Turkish university students. Sex Roles. 2010;62:420

Siraj A. The construction of the homosexual ‘other’ by

British Muslim heterosexuals. Contemporary Islam

; 3: 41-57.

Gönenç IM and Erenel AŞ. Determining homophobic

attitudes of nursing students in Turkey and the

factors affecting them. Clin Exp Health Sci 2019; 9:

-28.


Full Text: PDF

Article Metrics

Abstract View : 571 times
PDF Download : 336 times

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.