Sexual Dysfunction among Iranian Divorcing Couples

Background: Marital satisfaction is crucial for maintaining good relationship between couples. It is influenced by proper sexual satisfaction. On the other hand, it appears that sexual issues result from problematic or unsatisfactory relationships. The present study was aimed to assess sexual dysfunction as a notable basis of divorce among Iranian population. Material and method: The studied couples were randomly selected from couples who had attended in state civil court to take permission for divorce. To investigate sexual dysfunctions, GolombokRust Sexual Satisfaction Inventory (GRSSI) was used. Their demographic data was also gathered. Their data was compared with couples who were selected from An OPD clinic. The study had been approved by local ethical committee of Arak's university of medical sciences. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0. Findings: Both men and women in the study group had less frequent sexual intercourse. The men took total score 51.18±18.75 from Golombok-Rust Sexual Satisfaction Inventory, whereas the control group took the score 30.16±14.41. Their difference was statistically significant (P value less than 0.001). The corresponding score was 56.62±16.43 and 29.78±14.35 in females; again is statistically significant (P value less than 0.001). The same is true for every dimension of the questionnaire. Conclusion: Marital conflicts and decision to divorce may originate from sexual dissatisfaction. It is recommended that divorcing couples are referred to sex therapy clinic or psychiatrist, particularly in communities with restricted cultural freedom for expression of sexual needs such as Iranians. © 2015, Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. All rights reserved.