Research Article
Soheila Rabieipoor , Lale Task
Abstract
Young people themselves have brought attention to the realities that threaten their reproductive health daily. Researches suggest that people are more likely to hear and personalize messages, and thus to change their attitudes and behaviors, if they believe the messenger is similar to them and faces the same concerns and pressures. Thus peer education method may be an effective method for training of young people. This interventional study aimed to empower of a group of university female students in relation to their sexual and reproductive health by peer education method. Study was carried of in Oromieh University that be comforted in Oromieh city on west south of IRAN. First of all, sexual and reproductive health knowledge level and needs of students were detected and based on these findings, were designed an educational and counseling model. Then students empowered in sexual and reproductive health matters by peer education method and the effectiveness of this method was assessed. A total of 381 female students who entered to university at 2006-2007, are taken in to the study. The data were obtained through a pretest and a post test questionnaire. For assessing of data in this study t-test, One-way Anova and Mcnemar test were used. The average score of students in questions about sexual and reproductive health concept and sexual and reproductive health problem in youth, Sexual organs and their structure and function, menstruation and pregnancy, Family planning concept and contraception methods and Genital tract infections, sexual transmitted disease, AIDS and preventive behavior was 13.66±8.84 before intervention and arrived to 24.29±9.12 after intervention (P