Risky Sexual Behavior among Adolescents in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara: An Analysis Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and Gender Perspective

Risky sexual behavior among adolescents is a multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be understood merely as an expression of biological impulses, but rather as the outcome of complex interactions among social, psychological, and cultural constructions. This study aimed to explain how the interaction between the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) and gender relations within a socio-religious patriarchal context shapes adolescent risky sexual behavior in Bima Regency. The study employed an explanatory qualitative design using a socio-ecological approach. Participants included 14 adolescents aged 15-19 years, 4 parents, 3 community midwives, and 3 community/religious leaders selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observations, and were analyzed using a combined deductive-inductive thematic analysis based on theoretical constructs and empirical field findings. The findings indicate that adolescents attitudes toward premarital sex are characterized by ambivalence between religious normative prohibitions and permissiveness within intimate relationships. Subjective norms, particularly masculinity pressure among male adolescents and social stigma toward females, played a significant role in shaping sexual intensity. Perceived behavioral control was lower among female adolescents due to unequal power relations in negotiating protective behaviors. Limited family communication and prohibition-oriented religious approaches further reinforced adolescents restricted sexual literacy. This study contributes to the development of a contextual explanatory model integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior with a gender perspective within a religious-patriarchal society, and provides empirical foundations for gender-sensitive and community-based adolescent reproductive health interventions.