A qualitative inquiry of sexuality in Iranian couples using the Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills paradigm

Abstract

Background: Sexuality is interwoven with individuals’ information, motivation, and behaviors. Objective: To explore sexually related information, motivation, and behaviors that Iranian newly married couples utilized through their marital lives. Methods: We employed in-depth face-to-face interviews with 22 couples between the ages of 21 and 35 years to collect rich qualitative data. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Our data analysis process was guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills (IMB) model as a potential framework for understanding of the participants’ sexual and marital lives. Results: IMB’s conceptual bases were adequately reflected in the participants’ sexual narratives. The participants highlighted information needs related to their sexual relationships and services that should be provided by the relevant programs in the educational and national health system. Fulfillment of each other’s sexual needs was identified as the most important motivation of the participants. Sexual needs of husband, love, and liking were the main motivations for women’s sexual submission. The main behaviors found included couples’ communication skills and performing using feminine traits by women in order to fit the role of a sexually skillful wife. Conclusion: Our data analysis revealed that couples shared a proper comprehension of each other’s means of sexual behaviors. A dominance of religious discourse, non-verbal, mostly physical means of communication was employed by the couples to express or initiate sexual interactions. Furthermore, our findings support the utility of IMB as a potential basis for understanding married couples’ sexual lives. Our data highlight an implication to expand the motivation structure of the IMB model to incorporate an individual’s sexual understandings and the sexual needs to promote mutual and pleasurable sexual life within the Iranian culture.