Investigating Individual and Contextual Factors Related to Women's Sexual Satisfaction (A Study on Married Women in Tabriz)

This study aims to investigate the level of sexual satisfaction of married women and the personal and contextual factors related to this satisfaction. Applying the questionnaire technique, the research was carried out in survey mode. The statistical population of the research was all married women living in Tabriz, 400 of whom were selected based on Cochran's formula and multi-stage cluster sampling method. To examine sexual satisfaction, the Standard Marital Sexual Function Questionnaire (MSF) with seven dimensions of sexual participation, sexual expression, sexual excitement, sexual desire, sexual fulfillment, sexual attitude and sexual awareness was applied; moreover SPSS software was used to analyze the data. The findings of the research indicate that the average index of sexual satisfaction of women is medium to high. The average dimensions of sexual satisfaction are respectively equal to sexual participation between 48-14 (35/40), sexual expression between 48-13 (32/13), sexual excitement between 36-9 (22/45), sexual desire between 36-12 (25/02), sexual fulfillment between 60-15 (41/02) and sexual attitude between 66-23 (52/46). The results of the difference test in average revealed that there is a significant difference between women's sexual satisfaction based on their own education and that of their spouses, their own employment and that of their spouses, their own age and that of their spouses, the number of children, the age gap between couples, and the amount of their family's income. However regarding the duration of marriage and having children, no significant difference was observed in women's sexual satisfaction. As a general conclusion, beyond whether women are employed or not, having financial asset allows women to have agency in the social domain and they can take measures to create sexual satisfaction and increase it in their married life..