This study evaluated the prevalence of sexual reproductive behaviors among undergraduate students of Mashhad, Iran. The study was conducted on students in twelve non-medical faculties of a great university of Mashhad. A self-administered questionnaire was completed on demographic information, sexual contact in the lifetime and during the last three months, and age of first sex.
Kaplan-Meier statistic was used to calculate the mean age of initiation of sex. After exclusion of individuals over 25 years of age, among students with a mean age of Prevalence of at least one sexual contact in life was The lifetime prevalence of sexual relationship in males was significantly higher than females The mean age of first sexual experience was In single sexually experienced students, the mean age at first sex was Although very small proportion of females reported premarital sex, a significant minority of male students experienced sexual and risky behaviors.
Several factors magnify the importance of this issue in Iran. Modernity and westernization have been recently widespread among large cities in Iran with an obvious influence on society and culture 2. Access to information technologies such as satellite and internet has had a crucial role on social and tradition changes. Pre- and extra-marital sex among young people is one of the clear outcomes, which is rising among young Iranian people especially in large cities 2.
On the other hand, the mean age at first marriage is rising, particularly among females in the country 3. Due to lack of comprehensive education and services on sexual health, risky behaviors might be high. As a result, risky behaviors such as unprotected sexual contact and multiple-partnership are increasing among the Iranian youth 4 , 5.
Data shows that the incidence of STIs among young Iranian people is growing 6. Globally, about two-thirds of people suffering from STIs, are less than 25 years old 8 , and about one-half of the new HIV infected cases are years old 9. People in this age may get involved in high-risk behaviors and do not care about the consequences seriously. As most of the college students are in this age group and are potentially at risk, it is necessary to estimate sexual activities of college students carefully in order to prevent any possible epidemic in this population.
