Sexual health challenges of adolescents in Iran: A review article

Becoming to an adult who is sexually healthy is one of the key developmental activities for adolescents. sexual health is included of sexual development and reproductive health and also the ability to create and maintain good interpersonal relationships، are valued for their body، Respectful engagement with both sexes in correct method and expressed a desire، love and intimacy based on personal and stable social values.

In this study، using key words adolescence، sexual behavior، sexual risk behavior and sexual health and peers، related studies from 1370 to 1390 in IranMedex، Irandoc، Medlib، SID and Google scholar were investigated.

Factors and challenges are associated with adolescent sexual health can be categorized into the following 4 themes (12 sub themes): Religious beliefs and spirituality (abstinence); lack of sexual education (false beliefs and knowledge about sexual function; adolescents'' attitudes toward risky behavior and sexual relations; information sources of adolescents; skills for «say no»); community and youth issues (gender differences; relationships with peers; monitoring and control by the family; communication challenges between teen and parents; socioeconomical factors; Centers for reproductive health services to adolescents); adolescents sexual relationship outcomes (catching sexually transmitted diseases probability).

In some areas، including relationships between parents with children، gender differences، attitudes and sexual behavior and the influence of peers، Studies conducted in our country is well. But in areas such as spirituality and religious beliefs، self-control، prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS، life skills in adolescents and intervention strategies to promote sexual health of adolescents there are a great gap.