Associations between coerced anal sex and psychopathology, marital distress and non-sexual violence.
BACKGROUND
There is a dearth of scientific data on anal intercourse in heterosexual relationships. Likewise, anal sex within marital relationships has yet to be fully explored.


OBJECTIVE
Among a representative sample of married women in the Iranian capital, Tehran, we aimed to determine the association of self-reported coerced anal sex with: (i) self-reported coerced vaginal sex; (ii) self-reported non-sexual violence; (iii) psychopathology; and (iv) marital attitude.


METHODS
The data presented here were obtained from the Family Violence Survey conducted in Tehran in 2007. A total of 230 married Iranian women were selected via a multi-cluster sampling method from four different randomized regions. The subjects' sociodemographic data, psychological distress (Symptom Check List; SCL-90-R), personality, and relationship characteristics (Personal and Relationships Profile), and marital attitude (Marital Attitude Survey) were gathered. In addition, the participants' self-reported histories of lifetime victimization through all types of violence by the husband, including coerced anal and vaginal sex as well as psychological and physical assault (Conflict Tactic Scales-Revised; CTS-2), were collected.


RESULTS
There were associations between self-reported victimization through coerced anal and vaginal sex (P < 0.001), psychological (P < 0.001), and physical aggression (P < 0.001). Those reporting to have been forced into anal intercourse cited higher rates of paranoid and psychotic features, jealousy, attribution of problems to one's own behavior, conflict, and male dominance, as well as lower expectations of improvement in one's marital relationship.


CONCLUSIONS
In marital relationships, women are at a higher risk of coerced anal sex if subjected to other types of sexual or non-sexual violence. Higher rates of psychopathology and poorer marital relationships are also allied to self-reported anal sexual coercion.
Mohammadkhani
Parvaneh
P
Department of Psychology, University of Welfare and Rehabilitation, Tehran, Iran. parvaneh.mohammadkhani@gmail.com
Khooshabi
Katayoon S
KS
Forouzan
Ameneh Setareh
AS
Azadmehr
Hedieh
H
Assari
Shervin
S
Lankarani
Maryam Moghani
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003068:Coercion; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008393:Marriage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011902:Rape; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult