Vaginal Intercourse Predicts Gynecological Exam Behavior

For college women, vaginal intercourse in the past three months primary predictor of exam behavior

MONDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Vaginal intercourse behavior during the past three months is the primary predictor of gynecological exam behavior among college women, according to a study published in the September issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Andrea L. DeMaria, Ph.D., from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and colleagues investigated whether genital self-image, body image, and sexual behaviors influenced gynecological exam behaviors among college women enrolled in health-related courses. A total of 450 completed surveys were collected and analyzed for participant characteristics using descriptive statistics. Internal consistency of scales was assessed using reliability analyses with Cronbach's alpha coefficient as the reliability indicator. Predictors or groups of predictors best suited for gynecological-exam behaviors were indicated with predictive discriminant analysis (PDA). PDA-determined hit rates were indicative of the number of cases correctly predicted by classification function, and higher hit rates indicated better predictive capabilities.

The investigators found that the following variables were most predictive of gynecological exam behaviors: having had a vaginal intercourse partner in last three months (68.2 percent), having a vaginal intercourse partner together with genital self-image (68.2 percent), having a vaginal intercourse partner along with having had anal intercourse (68.2 percent), and combined genital self-image, vaginal, and anal intercourse (68.2 percent).

"Vaginal intercourse behavior was found to be the primary predictor of gynecological exam behavior in the current study," the authors write.

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