Correlates of the intention to remain sexually inactive among male adolescents in an Islamic country: case of the Republic of Iran.
BACKGROUND
There are very few studies that have examined sexual intentions and behaviors of adolescents in Islamic countries. This study employs the Health Belief Model to assess the correlates of the intention to remain sexually inactive among male adolescents in the Republic of Iran.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was performed with a sample of 314 adolescents recruited from 3 high schools from Tehran, Iran.


RESULTS
Fifty-seven percent of this sample planned to remain abstinent until marriage. Another 23% rejected the notion of remaining abstinent and 20% were uncertain. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that students whose mothers were employed and who received a higher daily allowance were more likely to report that they would not remain abstinent. No significant independent relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related knowledge and an intention to remain abstinent was detected. However, consistent with previous studies conducted in Asia, Africa, and in Western countries, we documented that (1) perceived subjective norms, (2) self-efficacy, (3) and perceived susceptibility to contracting the HIV virus all are associated with the intention to remain sexually inactive among adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems abstinence until marriage is more likely to be practiced in traditional families. However, Iranian society is changing rapidly and traditional family structures, values, and norms may not sufficiently protect adolescents from HIV infection. The data from this study support previous studies conducted in Western countries, which found that intervention programs that focus on knowledge alone are ineffective in their ability to alter adolescents' intentions to postpone sexual activity.
Mohtasham
Ghaffari
G
Health Education Department, College of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, PO Box 14115-111, Tehran, Iran. mohtashamg@yahoo.com
Shamsaddin
Niknami
N
Bazargan
Mohsen
M
Anosheravan
Kazemnejad
K
Elaheh
Mirzaee
M
Fazlolah
Ghofranipour
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007492:Iran; D007514:Islam; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012071:Religion and Sex; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012746:Sexual Abstinence; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors