The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid scale to measure college students' attitudes toward women's genitals. Items were developed based on a review of the scientific and popular literature, data from a convenience sample of college students (n=370) who completed one of nine versions of a pilot questionnaire, and feedback from a panel of seven experts.

Following the iterative process of item writing, expert review and revision, 604 college women and men completed a questionnaire that included questions related to demographics, attitudes and behaviors related to sexuality, and 101 items that were chosen as potential scale items.

Most participants (97.7%) were between the ages of 18 and 23 ( x=20.0). The sample was predominantly white, single and heterosexual and approximately 60% of participants were women. A demographically similar sub-sample of participants (n=16) completed a second administration of the scale items in order to test the temporal stability of the scale. Reliability analysis, and the use of a rational-empirical approach, led to the retention of 10 items that comprised the Attitudes Toward Women’s Genitals Scale (ATWGS).

The ATWGS was found to have satisfactory internal consistency (α=.848 for women and α=.825 for men), discriminant validity, convergent validity and two-week temporal stability (r=.93). In addition, the ATWGS was found to exhibit evidence of predictive capacity. Women scored significantly higher on the ATWGS if they reported having received cunnilingus more than twice ever; having ever had a gynecological exam; having looked at their own genitals more than twice during the past year; or if they reported that it was "very" easy to orgasm while receiving oral sex. Men scored significantly higher on the ATWGS if they reported having performed cunnilingus more than twice ever. There were significant gender differences on the ATWGS sum scores, with women scoring significantly lower (x=26.48) on the ATWGS than men (x=29.77), F(1,573)=76.57, p=.000.

Findings are supportive of the idea that attitudes toward women's genitals may be related to certain health care behaviors and partnered sexual behaviors. The ATWGS may be useful in clinical and research settings to better understand the factors that affect sexual health.