Understanding and Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health Behavior: Theory and Method

This article presents a theoretical framework for understanding the psychological determinants of sexual and reproductive health behaviors and a methodology for creating theoretically based and empirically targeted interventions to promote such behaviors across health behaviors and populations of interest. Based on the fact that sexual and reproductive health promotion acts represent sexualized behaviors with common determinants reciprocal effects and common pathways for intervention it is noted that such acts are conceptualized as a unified behavioral category. A theoretical model for understanding psychological factors governing sexual and reproductive health behavior is advanced. In addition an associated methodology for translating such conceptualization into theoretically based empirically targeted interventions for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health behaviors is provided. Direct evidence supporting the Information-Motivation-Behavioral approach to understanding and promoting sexual and reproductive health has been put forward as well as supportive evidence from related research areas. Specific recommendations for future research are cited in this article.