Development, implementation, and evaluation of the effectiveness of an intervention program to improve the sexual competence of young adult women about to get married: a protocol study

BackgroundHaving competence in initiating sexual interactions is one of the challenges of sexual health in any society. Given that the social, cultural, and religious background of some societies can prevent the acquisition of sexual competence in young women, this study will be done to design, implement, and determine the effectiveness of an intervention program to improve the sexual competence of young women on the eve of marriage.MethodsThe current research is a mixed-method study in a qualitative-quantitative sequence. In the first phase, a qualitative study will be conducted to explore the needs of sexual competence in young adult women about to get married and ways to improve it. Then, after the literature review and combining it with the results of the qualitative study, a draft of the intervention program will be developed. After reviewing the content of the program and validating it in the panel of experts, the final program will be developed. In the second phase, the effect of the program to promote the sexual competence of adult women about to get married will be determined in a quantitative study with a two-group quasi-experimental method.DiscussionProviding a comprehensive and practical intervention program to promote sexual competence based on cultural, social, and religious background can help to improve the quality of sexual interactions of young women about to get married, reduce harm caused by lack of sexual competence, and ensure women's sexual health. Preparing young people to start safe and satisfactory sexual behaviors and as a result to acquire sexual competence can play an important role in ensuring their sexual health. But in some countries, talking about sexual issues is a cultural and religious taboo. Given that Lack of sexual competence is associated with negative consequences, the present study aims to design, implement, and determine the effectiveness of a program to promote sexual competence in young adult women who are about to get married. In the first phase, to identify the needs of acquiring sexual competence and to explore the strategies for improving sexual competence, a qualitative study will be conducted with a content analysis approach. Individual interviews will be conducted with women aged 18 to 25 about to get married, the teachers of pre-marriage classes, midwives, gynecologists, reproductive health specialists, psychiatrists, and psychologists who work in the field of sexual health. Based on the findings of this phase and after reviewing the literature, an intervention program to improve sexual competence in young adult women will be designed and prepared. After the experts approve the intervention program, in the second phase, a quantitative study will be conducted to determine the effect of the intervention program on improving the sexual competence of young adult women about to get married.