Iranian Female Adolescents' Reproductive Health Needs: A Systematic Review

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to review female adolescents' reproductive health needs (RHN). Materials and Methods: We performed this systematic review using the Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct databases as well as Magiran for English articles written by Iranian authors using the keywords Female Adolescent, Reproductive Health, Reproductive Health Needs and Iran. Results: One hundred forty-eight references were identified. Two reviewers assessed the quality of the included studies. Twenty-five quantitative and qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. All of the Iranian studies that investigated the RHN of female adolescents were entered the study. In 16 studies, an assessment was conducted using a questionnaire, 9 studies used semi-structured interviews. The results can be divided into 3 general groups of needs, including special educational needs, comprehensive counseling and adolescent-friendly services. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that most adolescents have an unmet need for reproductive health services and services are not friendly. Therefore, it is suggested that future efforts should be directed toward need-based interventions to improve adolescent reproductive health.