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Purpose of the Study
The purpose of my study is to address why females will abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage on the basis of various personal reasons, such as cultural values, beliefs, norms, religion, and fear of sexually transmitted diseases. HIV prevention and relative risk have been identified as critical factors in the development of a successful abstinence behavioral framework to address teenagers’ behaviors (Long-Middleton et al., 2013, p. 342). Therefore, the motivations behind why women abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage must be identified and how it impacts their overall physical and emotional health and wellbeing, in addition to its influence on other women and their sexual decision-making.
Research Questions
The primary research questions for my study are as follows: 1) Why are women likely to wait until they are married to have sexual intercourse for the first time? and 2) What are the reasons for this decision and is it impacted by cultural norms, values, beliefs, fears, or other reasons?
Null and Alternative Hypotheses
The following null and alternative hypotheses are proposed for the research questions listed above. One: null hypothesis: women possess personal beliefs and/or core values that directly impact their decision to abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage. Alternative hypothesis: women are motivated by health reasons to abstain from sexual activity until marriage, out of fear of sexually transmitted diseases and/or HIV. Two: null hypothesis: women are likely to discuss their views when they strongly believe in them and will share their experiences with others who face similar decisions. Alternative hypothesis: women will consider abstaining from sexual activity until marriage because they want to protect themselves from unnecessary health risks and strongly view sexual intercourse as a potentially difficult health concern with serious consequences.
Independent and Dependent Variables
In regards to research question #1, the independent variables include marital status, age and geographic location, while the dependent variables include core values, religious beliefs, customs, and culture or ethnicity. The data for these variables will be derived using a framework that identifies personal preferences and beliefs regarding sexual intercourse before marriage. The questions are open-ended to obtain varied responses and to provide a comprehensive view of the topic and its relationship to public health. A questionnaire will include 20 questions regarding sexual preferences for women who have faced or will face this issue in their personal lives.
Research Subjects
For the purposes of this study, I will recruit female subjects from three local communities between the ages of 17-25. My target recruitment goal is 60 subjects in order to obtain a wide variety of responses from women within this age group. Participants must be able to understand and complete the survey in English, but it is expected that they will be from a variety of ethnicities, races, and cultures, where different values and belief systems exist. It is expected that the subjects will be spread across the target age group and will provide a purposive sample for further consideration and evaluation and to obtain a widespread response rate.
Design of Study
The study design will include 20 open-ended items that will address the following areas: 1) Cultural values and customs; 2) familial norms; 3) religious preferences; 4) peer and partner pressure; 5) core values; 6) health considerations; and 7) personal decision-making. Each of these criteria will be included in the questionnaire, and it will be distributed in two local clinics that provide women’s health services for three local communities. This setting is ideal for the study because women within the target age demographic are already patients of these clinics and are likely to be open to addressing these items since they address their views regarding abstinence and sexual activity before marriage.
Statistical Tests
For this study, a content analysis approach will be used because it provides a framework for addressing the likely variation of responses that will be provided in the survey instrument. I will evaluate the responses that are received to each question and develop selected categories to identify specific patterns in the responses that are similar in nature. I will emphasize specific focus areas in order to determine the criteria that are most important to women who have chosen abstinence before marriage. In addition, I will consider the overall content of the responses in order to be successful in developing any educational programs or insights regarding the benefits of abstinence before marriage for health reasons. Therefore, the content analysis will be useful in addressing the needs of the patient population and in determining any relevant patterns for women that influence decision-making either for or against abstinence before marriage.
Ethical Issues or Biases
I will write the required protocol for the Institutional Review Board and will submit it for approval to the members. I will seek a parental waiver for any subjects under the age of 18 because of the sensitive nature of the subject matter, along with a very low risk environment. This will ensure that the subjects are protected from any type of risk that may occur during the study, but they will also be provided the freedom and anonymity to provide responses that are as honest as possible. I will aim to remove any potential bias from the study and to develop questions that are designed to obtain varied and thoughtful responses regarding the subject matter in question. I believe that the study does not pose any ethical risks for patients and will not compromise their health in any way.
Implication for Healthcare Practice
For this study, it is important to note that the sexual behaviors of younger women play a critical role in supporting their health and wellbeing. Their beliefs, attitudes, customs, and core values play a role in how they view sexual behaviors and abstinence before marriage. For the subjects that are selected for inclusion in the study, a high degree of diversity is desirable because it will introduce a wide variety of responses and perspectives regarding abstinence and what it means specifically to each participant.
The study will demonstrate that abstinence for younger women prior to marriage is likely to have a positive and meaningful impact on their overall health and wellbeing, in spite of complicating factors such as peer pressure that may influence their decision-making in this regard. It is important to develop a strategy that will encompass a positive and meaningful approach to managing health outcomes for women within this age group and in providing education regarding the significance of abstinence before marriage in preventing pregnancy and STDs, among other variables.
Understanding the nature of younger women’s beliefs regarding abstinence is important to developing a strategy to enable them to make decisions regarding their own sexual behaviors that will have a positive impact on their lives and in enabling them to be in control of their own decision-making regarding sexual intercourse. This is a necessary indicator of improving health and wellbeing by examining the nature of positive attitudes regarding abstinence and the overall development of factors related to sexual behaviors within this age group.
References
Long-Middleton, E. R., Burke, P. J., Lawrence, C. A. C., Blanchard, L. B., Amudala, N. H., & Rankin, S. H. (2013). Understanding motivations for abstinence among adolescent young women: Insights into effective sexual risk reduction strategies. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 27(5), 342-350. http://dx. doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2012.02.010
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