a qualitative exploration on major challenges of reproductive health in adolescents and youth in iran

Background: reproductive health (rh) in adolescents and youth, as one of the critical components of population health policies, plays a pivotal role in preventing risky behaviors and achieving a healthy and productive generation for the future society. thus, this study aimed to explore the challenges of rh in adolescents and youth in iran. methods: using a purposeful sampling method with maximum variation, semi-structured in-depth interviews were held with eighteen key informants in the field of rh. a snowball sampling strategy was deployed to identify the participants. the multi-dimensional precede-proceed model of health promotion was used as a guiding framework for the topic guide. the transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. results: three main themes of decision-making system, lifestyle, as well as social and epidemiological issues, were emerged from the interviews. we also explored six themes, including the knowledge and expertise about rh, policy-making and management system, environmental factors, individual factors, family and social anomalies, and epidemiological status of rh. furthermore, twenty-five sub-themes were extracted from the main themes, which represented the challenges. lack of understanding of the issues and absence of a coherent intellectual system that provides a collaboration of different systems in policy-making were fundamental and dominant challenges of rh for adolescents and youth in iran. conclusion: to meet these challenges, we require an integrated and coherent system of policy-making with a reliance on scanning individual, environmental, social, and epidemiological changes that influence rh.