Contributing Factors to High-Risk Sexual Behaviors among Iranian Adolescent Girls: A Systematic Review.

The search may not have found all relevant studies because it used published literature only and search terms may have been too narrow. The included studies were mostly cross-sectional or qualitative, so they show associations at one time or lived experience, not cause and effect. The review did not test any intervention, so it cannot tell therapists or nurses whether education, monitoring, or family support changes sexual risk behavior. Many included studies had both boys and girls, and only some presented separate results for girls, so the findings may not apply only to girls. Gender findings were inconsistent. Peer influence was considered in only three studies, school factors in only one study, and community factors in only three studies, so those parts of the picture are thin. Most studies were conducted in Tehran, so they may not represent other parts of Iran.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that these factors cause high-risk sexual behavior or that an intervention targeting them will reduce risk. The review synthesizes cross-sectional and qualitative studies of associations, not tested interventions.