Exploring Married Iranian Women's Perception of the Meaning of Sexual Marital Activity: A Qualitative Study

Society deems marriage as a valuable mutual interaction in which sexual intercourse, as an inseparable part of a romantic relationship, occurs. Marriage is of great value in any known culture (Gheisari & Karimian, 2014). Marriage and the pursuant sexual activity are also considered a value in the Islamic community of Iran (Simbar, Ramezani Tehrani, & Hashemi, 2003). Based on available scientific literature, sexual intercourse is also considered as the basis of psychological health and believed that a healthy sexual relationship brings peace, intimacy and self-confidence for the couple. In other words, a sexual intercourse that results in a feeling of lightness and peace in the couple is a sign of sexual health (Hosein Rashidi, Kiyani, Haghollahi, & Shahbazi Sighaldeh, 2015). Marriage and sexual relationships are two interrelated phenomena. According to Masters and Johnson, the symbolic purpose of sexual intercourse is sharing intimacy, stimulating psychological effects, and improving self-concept (Nga, 2010). World Health Organization (WHO) distinguishes between the sexual relationship between the couples and sexual intercourse, and maintains that the objective of the former is not merely limited to orgasm. Sexual behavior is a combination of concurrent concepts, attitudes, experiences, activities, feelings, and thoughts. Sexual intercourse is founded upon attaining and offering pleasure. There is a close correlation between dissatisfaction with sexual function and divorce, and even with social issues such as social crime, sexual assault, infidelity, and mental disorders (Farajnia, Hosseinian, Shahidi, & Sadt Sadeghi, 2014). Evidence indicates that 15.2% to 50.4% percent of women are dissatisfied with their sexual activity, and 50 percent of divorces are triggered by sexual dissatisfaction (Shahhosseini, Hamzeh Gardeshi, Pourasghar, & Salehi, 2014). Women sexual disorders are the most common problems around the world. Also, sexual function disorders are common in married Iranian women (Tahmasebi & Abasi, 2013). In Iran, 40 percent of women are affected by a variety of sexual disorders and 50 percent of divorces occur due to sexual problems between the couples (Refaie Shirpak, Chinichian, Eftekhar Ardabili, Pourreza, & Ramezankhani, 2010). A satisfactory and happy sexual life is one of the fundamental rights of all individuals. Sexual satisfaction is a principal prerequisite for maintaining a happy and committed relationship, and is significantly correlated with psychological and physical health, satisfactory marital relationship, general health condition, and quality of life. Sexual relationship is not limited to a merely biological process; it is an experience that is formed in a joint intrapersonal, interpersonal and cultural context (Shahvari, Raisi, Parsa Yekta, Ebadi, & Kazemnejad, 2015). Sexual desires and activities like other human instincts exist from birth and evolve in proportion to child's growth. Sexual function is part of human life and behavior, and is so intertwined with individuals' personality that it seems impossible to discuss it as a separate phenomenon (Tahmasebi & Abasi, 2013). Considering the high prevalence of sexual function disorders (sexual dysfunction) in Iran and a necessity for couples' awareness of their role in creating an effective and correct relationship, conducting effective studies and collecting scientific data on different aspects of sexual relationship and specific to Iranian cultural context seem to be a priority (Farajnia, Hosseinian, Shahidi, & Sadt Sadeghi, 2014; Hosein Rashidi, Kiyani, Haghollahi, & Shahbazi Sighaldeh, 2015). On the other hand, even though the concept of sexual intercourse and activity has been explained in different forms in the existing literature, personal experiences and opinions have not been considered or been rather overlooked; thus, such definitions are not of adequate dynamism. Therefore, a study on women seems necessary as the concept of sexual intercourse does not exist apart from personal experiences, but is part of human experiences (Nga, 2010). …