Abstract
BACKGROUND: Reproductive health literacy (RHL) is essential for informed decision-making and reducing high-risk behavior, yet gaps persist among adolescents, particularly in culturally conservative societies like Iran. In the present study, we sought to identify RHL levels and associated sociodemographic and educational factors among medical sciences students at Babol University of Medical Sciences. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2021, enrolling 475 students via stratified random sampling. Tools used for collecting data included validated socio-demographic questionnaires and WHO-based RHL tools. Independent t-tests and ANOVA were used for analyses in SPSS version 24. RESULTS: The mean RHL score was 81.07 (adequate level). There were significant differences between the demographics and academic factors: higher RHL among married students than singles (d = 0.72, large effect), females scored higher than males (d = 0.28), and medical students scored higher than nursing (d = 0.68) and paramedical peers (d = 0.82). Older students (≥20 years) and higher academic years showed moderate-to-large improvements (d = 0.34-0.32). Conversely, younger students, males, and non-medical majors reported lower RHL. Sociocultural factors (e.g. residence type) had weaker but significant effects (d = 0.21). CONCLUSION: While RHL among these medical students was generally adequate, significant disparities were linked to gender, marital status, and academic major. Targeted interventions, such as revising non-medical curricula and introducing early RHL education, are recommended to address these inequities, particularly among males and younger students.