Risk Factors of Premarital Sex Among University Girl Students: A Qualitative Study

Background: In recent years, the median age of marriage has increased in Iran. Premarital sex has been socially, culturally, religiously, and legally banned in Iran. Changes in sexual and social criteria, as well as communications technology, have resulted in the alteration of traditional values. Also, free time and adventure-seeking behaviors have increased unhealthy and dangerous conducts, which could lead to the prevalence of some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Hence, in-depth studies are required to determine the factors affecting premarital sexual relationships in young females. Objectives: This study investigated the challenges and facilitators of premarital sex among female university students in Iran. Methods: This is a qualitative study with a content analysis approach. The participants were 24 female university students in four universities of Fars province, who were selected through purposive sampling method, followed by the snowball sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: The findings highlighted three main determinants of premarital sexual relationships among university students, including individual determinants, family environment, and community-related determinants. Conclusions: In individual determinants, policy makers and planners should improve individual skills such as self-control, resilience to peer pressure, and the skill of saying no, along with teaching self-knowledge. To control the effect of family environment, educating parents and promoting moderate behavior with their children can be effective. To reduce social pressure, programs should be considered for young girls to express themselves and their emotions. Moreover, some new policies are needed to reduce legal restrictions for unmarried females.