The Role of Family in Young Women's Engagement in Risky Sexual Behaviors: A Qualitative Study

Risky sexual behaviors are a great threat for youth's physical and social health. Family has an important role in young women’s engagement in risky sexual behaviors. This study was designed to explore the role of family in young women’s engagement in risky sexual behaviors.
This qualitative study used conventional content analysis and was conducted in university and non-university dormitories and recruited 65 young women aged 18-35. Data were collected, using focus group discussions (7 sessions) and individual interviews (12 interviews) in 2012 through snowball sampling. Focus group discussions were held in the students’ dormitories and the place of individual interviews were determined by the participants. We employed content analysis to analyze the data (Graneheim and Lundman's approach). In order to enhance the validity of the data, multiple data collection methods, maximum variation sampling, and external check were applied.
The results of the present study were categorized into three subcategories: "family monitoring", "family emotional support", and "family upbringing". "Family upbringing" has 2 subcategories: "open family upbringing" and "purely religious upbringing". Family is the first context in which young women grow up. Participants considered family support and monitoring as protective factors in engagement in risky sexual behaviors. Moreover, they stated that the two sides of this spectrum ("open family upbringing" and "purely religious upbringing") are risk factors for engagement in risky sexual behaviors.
The results of this study suggest that family has an important role in young women's sexual behaviors. The findings of the present study can be applied to provide solutions (including family education in the media, schools, and organizations) to alert families to prevent premarital and risky sexual behaviors.