Purpose: The purpose of this research wasto examine the relationships between gender role attitudes and barriers in Korean nurses when addressing patients' sexual health. Method: The sample for this study was a convenience sample of Korean nurses who worked in hospitals in Seoul and Jeonju. Data were collected between November 2008 and January 2009. Results: Nurses showed less traditional gender role attitudes with means score of 40.72 (SD=3.99) of a possible 10 to 50 range. The barriers to addressing patients' sexual health were moderate in these nurses with a mean score of 44.92 (SD=7.66) of a possible 12 to 60 range. There were significant correlations between gender role attitudes and barriers to addressing patients' sexual health (r= -.142, p= .007). Nurses with less traditional gender role attitudes felt more barriers to addressing patients' sexual health. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a need for educational programs that will improve the problem-solving abilities of nurses in a hospital environment and help them gain ground as sexual health specialists. The results may contribute to the development and application of a patient-centered sexual health-related curriculum, which would aid nurses in addressing sexual concerns of their patients.
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