Reproductive health knowledge and attitudes among Iranian adolescents

Shirin Ahmad-Nia, Ministry of Science, Iran

Iran is a Third World country with a relatively young age structure. Since the revolution (1979) this country has witnessed drastic swings in terms of fertility and reproductive health issues. The researcher's main concerns have been Iranian adolescents' knowledge, ideas and attitudes regarding sex and contraception, family-formation values and family planning. The data comes from two main sources: 1. A survey conducted in the capital city Tehran using questionnaires, with a sample of 1451 adolescent (731 boys and 720 girls) participants reached through probability sampling methods. 2. A nationwide survey using a representative sample of 15650 Iranian youngsters (48.3 % male and 51.7 % female). Findings reveal remarkable value and attitude changes in terms of family formation values amoung youth, and raise concerns on the current levels and sources of information among youth on issues of essential concern such as sexual behaviour, contraceptives, sexual health risks, and family planning.