28% of Tehran's Adolescents Under 18 Have Had Sexual Experience

A study on the sexual behavior of residents in several cities in Iran indicates that 28% of Tehran's adolescents under 18 have had 'sexual experience', 50% of divorces in Tehran are due to sexual problems, and 52% of female students living in dormitories have had boyfriends. The latest statistics on the sexual behavior of Tehran's residents and several other cities in Iran were announced at the unveiling ceremony of the book 'Women, Health, and Urban Environment'. According to the website Mehrkhaneh, this event was held on Sunday, December 6, with the presence and speeches of several authors of the book in Tehran. Omid Zamani, a member of the Medical Sociology and Health group of the Iranian Sociological Association, spoke at the event about the 'sexual experience' of 28% of adolescents aged 15 to 18 in Tehran. Zamani added that 73% of adolescents in Tehran who have had sexual relationships reported having more than one 'sexual partner' in these relationships. He also referred to the results of another study showing that '20% of soldiers in Tehran have had sexual contact with someone other than their spouse, and the condom use among these individuals is about 38%.' Zamani also mentioned findings from another study indicating that '23% of high school boys did not want to wait until marriage for intercourse, and 20% were uncertain.' This sociologist stated that another study in Tehran shows that '52% of female students living in dormitories had boyfriends, and 10% of them had premarital intercourse.' Zamani discussed findings from another study in seven cities in Iran, which revealed that 'over 11% of respondents aged 15 to 19 have experienced sexual relationships outside of permanent marriage.' According to him, 'studies conducted in Iran regarding sexual dysfunction indicate that about 31% of women have experienced at least one sexual dysfunction.' As Zamani stated, '35% of women with sexual dysfunction do not seek medical help, and 50% of divorces in Tehran are directly or indirectly related to sexual problems.' Other results mentioned in this event include the 'average capability' of women in sexual matters, the 'greater' inclination of men towards extramarital relationships compared to women, and the 'worse' mental health of married individuals compared to singles. It was also announced at this event that 'the trend of increasing premarital sexual relationships is a global trend, and changes in family structure and function have influenced it.' Shirin Ahmadnia, the director of social harm prevention at the Welfare Organization of Iran, also spoke at this event about the status of women in Iranian society, stating that 'the economic and social position of women is not suitable, and we see its consequences in health indicators.' Amirhossein Mehryar, a psychology professor at Shiraz University, also stated during this program that 'depression is at a high level in Iran, and women are almost twice as likely to suffer from this disease as men.' In May 2014, Mahmoud Golzari, one of the deputies of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, stated that the relationship between girls and boys in Iran before university has tripled compared to 30 years ago. Golzari added that 'the simultaneous relationship of a girl or boy with several people has also increased.'