Breaking the Taboo

Determinants of Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Among Egyptian Women

Bibliographic Data

ID12465899
AuthorsNayera Mohamed Shousha (0000-0002-2565-8146, Cairo University, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume28
Issue3
Pages1170-1183
Publication date2023-11-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSexuality & Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1095-5143 • E-ISSN: 1936-4822
PublisherSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s12119-023-10172-1
OpenAlexW4388906720
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited21

Drawing on 32 semi structured in-depth interviews with Egyptian women, this paper discusses determinants of sexual knowledge and attitudes among premarital and married women and women's agency in presenting sexual desires and gaining sexual knowledge in Egypt. Three main themes emerged as follows: (1) Attitudes toward being sexually educated; the findings show that most women have a positive attitude toward sexual knowledge and being sexually educated. However, there is still some embarrassment and shame associated with expressing their sexual needs or seeking more information about them. (2) Gender inequity in sexual knowledge: respondents have reported that they face social oppression and challenges when expressing their sexual desires, and there is gender inequity in obtaining knowledge about sex. Additionally, women agreed that men have the right to obtain knowledge about sex and that Egyptian society supports men in acquiring such knowledge. (3) General knowledge about sex; the internet is the most common source of information about sex. There is agreement that intimate relationships should be an enjoyable experience for both partners. Furthermore, women have stated that there are some indicators of successful sexual relationships. The current research contributes by filling a gap in the knowledge about women’s sexual education in Egypt, where empirical literature on women’s sexual knowledge in such conservative culture is lacking

Agency (philosophy · Developmental psychology · Embarrassment · Pornography · Premarital sex · Sexual behavior · Shame · Social science · Sociology · Taboo · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Gender Studies · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Social Psychology

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