Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have a major negative impact on sexual and reproductive health globally. The most effective way to avoid STIs is to abstain from sexual contact or having sex only in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine behavioral prevention regarding STIs.
Patients and methods: This analytic cross-sectional study was performed on 584 women aged 15-49 referring to health care centers of Tabriz-Iran in 2013 through multistage cluster sampling. Data collecting tool was a questionnaire which its validity and reliability were determined previously. Descriptive and inferential statistics (independent T-test, One-way ANOVA, and univariate and multivariate analyses) were used to analyze the data using SPSS 17. P < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean ± SD score of behavioral prevention was 20.57 ± 2.8 ranging from 0 to 24. The weakest behavioral prevention was lack of consistent use of condom by husband during sex. The mean ± SD score of individuals' awareness about STIs was as low as 17.08 ± 7.42. Multivariate analysis adjusting potential confounders showed a significant association between behavioral prevention and awareness, education, sex only with husband, anal, oral, and anal-oral sex.
Conclusions: Prevention and care of sexually transmitted diseases are interventions able to promote public health. It is necessary to solve different factors affecting rapid spread of STDs and their transmission through an effective behavioral preventive plan.
Keywords: Behavior; Infections; Iran; Oral Sex; Prevention; Women.