Sexual and reproductive health education needs and its associated factors in couples participating in premarital counseling

Context: Lack of satisfaction of sexual instinct is one of the main factors of couples’ divorce in many countries. One of the formal methods of sexual education in Iran is premarital counseling education. Therefore, premarital counseling should meet the needs and wishes of couples.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs and its associated factors in couples participating in premarital counseling.

Setting and Design: This descriptive study was conducted with 240 women and 233 men referred to a premarital counseling center in Sari, North of Iran.

Materials and Methods: After consideration of the ethical aspects of data collection, the questionnaire developed by Pourmarzi et al. was used for data collection. This questionnaire measures sexuality and reproductive health needs.

Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis through the SPSS software (version 21).

Results: The mean of SRH education needs in both genders was 24 ± 10, which was not statistically significant (P = 0.19). In men, the major need was related to “genetic counseling and importance of performing it before pregnancy.” On the other hand, in women, the main training need was related to: “Pregnancy prevention methods.”

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the couples before marriage felt more need to education about SRH. Since that the most common method of education on sexual health in Iran is premarital counseling, it should be devised based on the provision of the main reproductive and sexual needs of couples such as genetic counseling and family planning.