Relationship between Religious Beliefs and Sexual Health in Married Women of Qom, Iran

amily is the foundation of the society and one of the most important and basic social institutions. In religious culture, family is a monotheistic unit, which is related to the divine monotheism (1). Despite the importance of family, the high divorce rate and its impact on health in Iran are astounding (2). The actual cause of many divorces is sexual incompatibilities between the husband and wife, which reduce their inclination toward each other, resulting in divorce due to various trivial issues (3). In all societies and religions, sexuality is a taboo and women do not express their sexual problems due to timidity and modesty. However, these problems emerge in the form of physical discomforts, depression and dissatisfaction with marital life (4). In general, women’s health is the foundation of family and society’s health (5). In addition, as one of the aspects of health, sexual health is one of the essential components of sustainable marriage. According to the definition by the World Health Organization, sexual health is integrity and harmony between mind, feelings and body in sexual relationships, directing social and intellectual aspects of human beings toward the promotion of character and creating communication and love (6,7). Several studies have been conducted on the relationship between religion and various aspects of sexual health. In this regard, Ellison, Gay and Glass marked that religious beliefs have a positive impact on marital adjustment, resolving conflicts, and in turn, marital satisfaction. In studies by Kermani, Mamazandi and Danesh (8) and Rouhani and Manavipour (9), a significant positive F Abstract