A Qualitative Exploration on Major Challenges of Reproductive Health in Adolescents and Youth in Iran

Reproductive health (RH) in adolescents and youth, as one of the critical components of population health policies, plays a pivotal role in preventing risky behaviors and achieving a healthy and productive generation for the future society. Thus, this study aimed to explore the challenges of RH in adolescents and youth in Iran.

Using a purposeful sampling method with maximum variation, semi-structured in-depth interviews were held with eighteen key informants in the field of RH. A Snowball sampling strategy was deployed to identify the participants. The multi-dimensional PRECEDE-PROCEED model of health promotion was used as a guiding framework for the topic guide. The transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis.   

Three main themes of decision-making system, lifestyle, as well as social and epidemiological issues, were emerged from the interviews. We also explored six themes, including the knowledge and expertise about RH, policy-making and management system, environmental factors, individual factors, family and social anomalies, and epidemiological status of RH. Furthermore, twenty-five sub-themes were extracted from the main themes, which represented the challenges. Lack of understanding of the issues and absence of a coherent intellectual system that provides a collaboration of different systems in policy-making were fundamental and dominant challenges of RH for adolescents and youth in Iran.

To meet these challenges, we require an integrated and coherent system of policy-making with a reliance on scanning individual, environmental, social, and epidemiological changes that influence RH.