International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS) Vol. 9, No. 4, December 2020, pp. 327~332 ISSN: 2252-8806, DOI: 10.11591/ijphs.v9i4.20444  327 Journal homepage: http://ijphs.iaescore.com The effect of adolescent reproductive health education on premarital sexual behavior Murdiningsih, Rohaya, St Hindun, Ocktariyana Department of Midwifery, Politeknik Kesehatan Palembang, Ministry of Health, Indonesia Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Mar 31, 2020 Revised Jul 28, 2020 Accepted Sep 8, 2020 A lack of communication, support, and information from parents on sexual issues are involved an inability to prevent or intervene in the sexual activity of adolescents. This study aimed to determine the effect of adolescent reproductive health education on premarital sexual behavior in Palembang, Indonesia. This study was an experimental design with pre and post- intervention. The 192 students were obtained based on the criteria of samples required. The result of bivariate analysis between the Chi-Square confounding variable and premarital sexual behavior after the intervention shows that there is a significant relationship between knowledge about sex, reproductive health, and attitudes with premarital sexual behavior. There is a significant relationship between control behavior and sexual behavior after performing the intervention (p= 0.00). The result of multivariate shows that there is a dominant variable that is the variable of knowledge about reproductive health (p= 0.00). This study suggested that information about adolescent reproductive health should be included in the curriculum, especially in Biology class. Keywords: Adolescent Premarital sexual behavior Reproductive health education This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Murdiningsih, Department of Midwifery, Poltekkes Kemenkes Palembang, Jl. Jend. Sudirman/Kayu Awet No.1365, Komp. RSMH Palembang, Indonesia. Email: murdi.ningsih1957@gmail.com. 1. INTRODUCTION Physiological alteration in adolescents is puberty that is an inevitable process and first sign [1]. Adolescences haven't adequately skill of life that is being a risk to doing the negative pre-marital sexual behavior. Twenty-five percent of teen’s age 15 years old have experienced sexua l intercourse, resulting in sexually transmitted disease (STD) and unwanted pregnancy [2, 3]. Many studies has been reported that 66-75% of adolescents have had sexual intercourse by the time they are in senior high school which is in 12 grade [4]. Adolescents premarital sexual behavior influenced many factors such as biological factors, genetic factors, individual perceptions, attitudes, intentions, subjective norms, personal characteristics, sociocultural values and norms [5]. The data of the Indonesian health demographic survey in 2017 was found seven percent of women in the ages 15-19 years is have become mothers, among of them is five percent was labor and two percent is the first pregnancy [6]. Unsafe sexual behavior can lead to risky pregnancy in adolescents such as an abortion, bleeding, infection, hypertension, embolism, complications in labor as well as an increased risk of maternal death [7]. The protection of sex in Indonesian adolescents was at a low level. It was influenced that the socio-cultural issue that almost people assume that sexual behavior and reproductive health is something taboo and privation to discuss [8, 9]. Education in adolescents has been suggested to improve knowledge