Predictive Factors of Sexual Compatibility in Married Women Referring to Selected Health Centers in Tehran, Iran

Background & Aims Sexual compatibility is one of the important elements in sexual function, and is considered an important factor in the continuation of married life. Due to the multidimensional concept of sexual compatibility, it can be affected by many factors. The present study aimed to determine the factors related to the sexual compatibility of married women referring to selected health centers in Tehran, Iran. Materials & Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 300 married women referring to comprehensive health centers affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences, who were selected using a multi-stage sampling method from 14 health centers. The data collection tools were a demographic form and a sexual compatibility questionnaire for spouses. Data analysis was conducted in Stata software, version 14, using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and multivariate linear regression analyses. Results The mean sexual compatibility score was significantly related to the women’s working at night shifts (B=-14.84, P=0.04, 95% CI: -32.3 to - 2.61) and the husbands’ employment (B=23.12, P=0.01; 95% CI: 2.88-21.28). The mean sexual compatibility score was significantly related to women whose husbands had no history of smoking or hookah use (B=6.57, P=0.03; 95% CI: -0.31 to -13.47). Having a private and separate bedroom was significantly associated with sexual compatibility (B=7.86, P=0.01; 95% CI: 3.87-72.8). The frequency of sexual intercourse per week (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 times) was also significantly associated with sexual compatibility (P=0.001). Conclusion Married women who work at night shifts or those whose husbands are employed are more likely to experience sexual incompatibility. Additionally, a history of smoking and hookah use in husbands is associated with reduced sexual compatibility. The sexual incompatibility decreases when couples have separate bedrooms and engage in sexual intercourse more frequently per week.