Effects of Gender Sensitivity, Sexual Attitude, Sexual Communication on Sexual Autonomy in College Student
Authors:   Form of Public Safety and Culture, Yoon Ji Won 
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to provide basic data for developing a program to improve sexual autonomy and create desirable gender culture. As gender-related problems have emerged as an important issue in college students, the importance of education and practice to protect oneself from sexual problems and cultivate the ability to maintain sexual health is emphasized. Reflecting these changes, this study attempted to examine the degree of gender sensitivity, sexual attitude, sexual communication, and sexual autonomy and then identify the correlation between gender sensitivity, sexual attitude, sexual communication, and sexual autonomy. Also, it attempted to identify factors affecting sexual autonomy in college students. The study subjects were unmarried men and women, with 230 attending a university in D city. The collected data were analyzed frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, Pearson's Correlation Coefficients, and Multiple Regression using the SPSS Win 28.0 statistical program. As a result of the study, the subject's gender sensitivity was an average of 4.18 points out of 5 points, sexual attitude was 3.38 points, sexual communication was 3.07 points, and sexual autonomy was 4.23 points. And it analyzed the difference in gender sensitivity, sexual attitude, sexual communication, and sexual autonomy according to the general characteristics of the subject. There was a significant difference in gender sensitivity by gender (t=-4.77, p<.001), grade (F=3.39, p=.019), and dating experience (t=-5.24, p<.001). And there was a significant difference in sexual communication by gender (t=-3.08, p=.001) and grade (F=3.84, p=.010), and there was a significant difference in sexual autonomy by gender (t=-2.02, p=.023) and interpersonal satisfaction (F=8.64, p<.001). Sexual autonomy was positively related to gender sensitivity (r=.216, p=.004), sexual attitude (r=.301, p<.001), and sexual communication(r=.336, p<.001). Sexual attitude was positively related to sexual communication (r=.424, p<.001) and gender sensitivity (r=.260, p<.001). The influencing factors in college students' sexual autonomy were sexual communication (β=0.306, p<.001), gender (β=.231, p<.001), interpersonal satisfaction (β=0.182, p=.003), gender sensitivity (β=0.155, p=.015), and sexual attitude (β=0.136, p=.043) and the explanatory power was 26.7%. In other words, the higher sexual communication and sexual attitude, interpersonal satisfaction, and gender sensitivity, the higher sexual autonomy. It was also confirmed that female students had higher sexual autonomy than male students. The results suggested the need to develop an integrated and systematic intervention program that can enhance the sexual autonomy of college students so that they can develop the ability to prevent sexual problems on their own. Through this, it is expected that one will not only take the initiative in one's sexuality but also contribute to forming a proper sexual value that can protect the rights of the other person and create a desirable sexual culture.