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

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 ۳۳% in Iran, and the age of incidence has decreased by ۱۶ 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 ۲۰۰۰ to December ۲۰۲۳. 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, ۱۴ studies were ultimately included in the current research. Data were analyzed using the random effects model in Rev۵.۳ software. The total number of participants in the selected articles was ۱۳,۸۸۹ individuals. The prevalence of sexual relations among Iranian youth was estimated at ۲۲.۸۰% (CI ۹۵%; ۱۶.۹۳ - ۲۸.۶۶). It was ۱۸.۶۹% (CI ۹۵%; ۱۱.۰۳ – ۲۶.۳۴) in females and ۳۰.۴۶% (CI ۹۵%; ۲۲.۴۴ - ۳۸.۴۸) 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 ۲۰ 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

کلیدواژه ها:

Abstinence-only ، Sexual behavior ، Youth ، Meta-analysis ، Iran