Prevalence of Premarital Sex Among Youths in Iran: A Meta-Analysis

Haseli, Arezoo; Menati, Lida; Egdampour, Farideh; Jahanfar, Shayesteh; Hassani, Maryam

doi:10.22087/ijac.2024.502508.1044

Prevalence of Premarital Sex Among Youths in Iran: A Meta-Analysis

Document Type : Review

Authors

Arezoo Haseli ¹

Lida Menati ²

Farideh Egdampour ³

Shayesteh Jahanfar ⁴

Maryam Hassani ⁵

¹ Family Health and Population Growth Research Center, Health Policy and Promotion Research Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

² Department of Midwifery Education, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

³ Department of midwifery, Islamic Azad University, Marand, Iran.

⁴ MPH Program Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA

⁵ Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22087/ijac.2024.502508.1044

Abstract

Iran is a religiously conservative nation where premarital sexual activity is prohibited. Early sexual behaviors are recognized as risk factors for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. The transmission of HIV through sexual contact has increased by 33% in Iran, and the age of incidence has decreased by 16 years. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of premarital sexual relationships. An advanced search was performed using keywords related to sexual behavior and similar terms, encompassing publications from 2000 to December 2023. All selected studies focused on sexual behavior among Iranian youth. Following the evaluation of various articles and the exclusion of duplicate, irrelevant, and low-quality papers, 14 studies were ultimately included in the current research. Data were analyzed using the random effects model in Rev5.3 software. The total number of participants in the selected articles was 13,889 individuals. The prevalence of sexual relations among Iranian youth was estimated at 22.80% (CI 95%; 16.93 - 28.66). It was 18.69% (CI 95%; 11.03 – 26.34) in females and 30.46% (CI 95%; 22.44 - 38.48) in males. The results of the study indicated that at least one-quarter of individuals engage in premarital sexual activity in Iran, with these individuals experiencing sexual intercourse before the age of 20 years. Given the increasing age of marriage and the necessity for education to prevent high-risk sexual behavior in Iran, it is imperative to develop programs and policies promoting safe sexual health practices

Keywords

Abstinence-only

Sexual behavior

Youth

Meta-analysis

Iran

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