Sexual Health Survey – SHS
Assesses sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, specifically focusing on sexual readiness, communication, barrier comfort, effectiveness, and rape myth beliefs.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sexual Health Survey – SHS was developed by Heather Eastman-Mueller, Deborah Carr, and Steve Osterlind (2006). It is designed to measure Sexual Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors. The scale is intended for use with University students.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 17 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Perceived Sexual Readiness, Comfort Sexual Communication, Comfort with Barrier Methods, Latex Barrier Effectiveness, Belief in Rape Myths.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Sexual Readiness | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Comfort Sexual Communication | 6,7,8 | 3 |
| Comfort with Barrier Methods | 9,10,11 | 3 |
| Latex Barrier Effectiveness | 12,13,14 | 3 |
| Belief in Rape Myths | 15,16,17 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Strongly Agree / Very Comfortable / Very Effective, 1 = Moderately Agree / Moderately Comfortable / Moderately Effective, 2 = Mildly Agree / Slightly Comfortable / Slightly Effective, 3 = Mildly Disagree / Slightly Uncomfortable / Slightly Ineffective, 4 = Moderately Disagree / Moderately Uncomfortable / Moderately Ineffective, 5 = Strongly Disagree / Strongly Uncomfortable / Strongly Ineffective.
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .74 to .91 for the subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.