Sexual Myths Scale (SMS)—Turkey

1. Homosexuality should be treated
2. Homosexuality is a disease
3. Homosexuals are harmful to society
4. Homosexual men act like women
5. An individual’s sexual orientation is recognized from his/her external image (clothing, speech, and behavior)
6. Men’s decisions are more realistic/logical than those of women
7. Housework is a women’s task
8. Being male is more valuable than being female
9. Women are in need of help
10. Men are more successful than are women in performing tasks like mathematics that require intelligence
11. Men are more competitive than are women
12. Sex life ends with aging
13. Menopause (climacterium) ends a woman’s sex life
14. Older people’s having sexual intercourse is not acceptable
15. To have satisfactory sex life, one must be young
16. While having sexual intercourse, a woman should comply with her husband’s wishes
17. It is the woman’s duty to give pleasure to her husband during sexual intercourse
18. Every stage of the sexual intercourse must be in the man’s control
19. Masturbation leads to psychological problems
20. Masturbation leads to the development of physical diseases
21. Raped boys turn out to be a gay when they grow up
22. Boys would not be rape victims
23. Women with their external appearance/clothing may cause the emergence of sexual violence
24. Non-consensual sexual intercourse between husbands and wives cannot be regarded as rape
25. Sexual intercourse is essential if the spouses (partners) are to receive sexual pleasure
26. Sexuality means sexual intercourse
27. Sexual intercourse should result in orgasm
28. Women can reach orgasm only through sexual intercourse (coitus)

Response Options:
I totally agree - 5
I somewhat agree - 4
I am undecided - 3
I disagree - 2
I totally disagree - 1

The choice “I totally agree’ refers to the status of having the myth whereas the choice “I totally disagree” refers to the status of not having the myth. Total scores are averaged.

PRIMARY CITATION:

Golbasi, Z., Evcili, F., Eroglu, K., & Bircan, H. (2016). Sexual myths scale (SMS): development, validity and reliability in Turkey. Sexuality and Disability, 34(1), 75-87.