Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background & Aim: Premarital health counseling is very important in all communities, so lots of communities have special planning for this purpose. In premarital counseling, couples are educated on reproductive health such as sexual health and family planning to make them realize its role in their lives, in order to help family health promotion. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of counseling on girls’ awareness after participation in premarital health counseling program. Patients & Methods: In this semi-experimental study, girls’ knowledge about sexual health, family planning and usage of OCP and condom was first determined. Then subjects’ knowledge about the mentioned issues was measured again after their participation in premarital health counseling. The answers of both tests were evaluated and the mean and SD was calculated. Next, changes in grades mean from first to second phase were analyzed with Wilcoxon test. Samples were 600 girls who had been selected from participants in premarital health counseling program in health centers. Sampling method was continuous, the tool was questionnaire and the length of counseling program was 45 min. Results: Mean and standard deviation of sample age was 21.82±3.94. 47.4% of subjects had diploma, 76.6% were housewives and 12% of them had been informed of this program by mass media. Changes in grade mean of their knowledge about sexual health, correct use of OCP and condom were significant(P<0.0001), but this change was not significant for knowledge of family planning. Conclusion: Considering the importance of family planning and results of the present study, couples must be taught before marriage, so high school stage is a suitable time for this purpose. A prospective study on surveying the effect of premarital health counseling program is highly suggested by the researchers.