The impact of reproductive health knowledge, reproductive health-promoting behavior, and sexual communication on intention to visit obstetrics and gynecology in unmarried women: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Women are experiencing reproductive health abnormalities at younger ages, and the incidence of cervical cancer in women in their 20s and 30s is increasing. Various factors hinder visits to obstetrics and gynecology. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore how health knowledge, reproductive health-promoting behavior, and sexual communication influenced the degree of intention to visit obstetrics and gynecology in unmarried women.

Methods: The participants included 170 Korean unmarried women in their 20s and 30s. The data were collected via an online survey from December 11 to 22, 2023. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the t-test, one-factor analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression.

Results: On average, participants were 24.64±0.31 years of age. The intention to visit obstetrics and gynecology was high (11.46±3.51). Visiting obstetrics and gynecology was positively correlated with knowledge of reproductive health (r=.26, p=.001), reproductive health-promoting behavior (r=.43, p<.001), and sexual communication (r=.37, p<.001), all with statistical significance. Experience of visiting obstetrics and gynecology (β=0.40, p<.001), reproductive health-promoting behavior (β=.25, p<.001), sexual experience (β=0.22, p<.001), sexual communication (β=0.20, p=.001), and reproductive health knowledge (β=0.12, p=.033) explained 54.2% of variance in intention to visit obstetrics and gynecology in unmarried women.

Conclusion: The findings of this study can be used to develop programs for unmarried women to improve reproductive health-promoting behavior, sexual communication, and reproductive health knowledge, and increase the intention to visit obstetrics and gynecology.