Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>Background</bold> : Misconceptions regarding conception remain common despite increasing access to reproductive health information and may adversely influence conception-related sexual behaviours, fertility awareness, and reproductive decision-making. Existing instruments primarily assess reproductive knowledge or fertility awareness but do not specifically measure conception-related sexual misconceptions. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate the Conception-Related Sexual Misconceptions Scale (CRSMS) for use among Turkish women of reproductive age. <bold>Methods:</bold> A methodological study was conducted among 283 married women attending gynaecology outpatient clinics in Türkiye. Scale development followed internationally accepted recommendations for psychometric instrument development. Item generation was informed by a comprehensive literature review and expert evaluation. Content validity was assessed using expert ratings. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and composite reliability (CR), while convergent validity was examined using average variance extracted (AVE). Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics and AMOS. <bold>Results:</bold> The content validity evaluation demonstrated excellent expert agreement, yielding a Scale-Level Content Validity Index (S-CVI) of 0.92. Sampling adequacy was confirmed by a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value of 0.773, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (χ²(55)=571.43, p<0.001). EFA supported a unidimensional structure explaining 26.5% of the total variance. CFA confirmed the one-factor model with acceptable fit indices (χ²/df=1.723, CFI=0.915, TLI=0.901, GFI=0.954, AGFI=0.930, RMSEA=0.051). The final CRSMS consists of 11 items. Internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach's α=0.78, McDonald's ω=0.80, CR=0.78). Although AVE (0.25) was below the recommended threshold, the acceptable model fit, composite reliability, and internal consistency collectively supported the construct validity of the instrument. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> The CRSMS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties and represents the first instrument specifically designed to assess conception-related sexual misconceptions among women of reproductive age. By extending reproductive health assessment beyond factual knowledge to include culturally embedded misconceptions, the scale addresses an important measurement gap within reproductive health research. The CRSMS may support individualized preconception counselling, reproductive health education, and future studies examining the relationship between conception-related misconceptions, reproductive health literacy, fertility awareness, and reproductive outcomes. </p>