One study investigating sexual practices among university students from 1999 to 2017 found a clear trend: young people increasingly prefer to experience sex before marriage, seeking to improve their knowledge to prevent pregnancy and STIs once they become sexually active . This pragmatic approach often clashes with the state's refusal to provide comprehensive sex education outside of a marital context.
In South Tehran, humanitarian organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) run projects offering hepatitis C testing and treatment in drug rehabilitation camps, and provide basic sexual and reproductive healthcare for Afghan women . However, overall, there is no strong relationship between HIV programs and broader sexual and reproductive health policies in Iran, leading to fragmented care . iranian sex