title: Sexuality Research in Iran: A Focus on Methodological and Ethical Considerations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research on sensitive topics, such as sexuality, could raise technical, methodological, ethical, political, and legal challenges. The aim of this paper was to draw the methodological challenges which the authors confronted during sexuality research with young population in the Iranian culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was an exploratory mixed method one conducted in 2013-14. We interviewed 63 young women aged 18-34 yr in qualitative phase and 265 young women in quantitative phase in (university and non-university) dormitories and in an Adolescent Friendly Center. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews in the qualitative phase. We employed conventional content analysis to analyze the data. To enhance the rigor of the data, multiple data collection methods, maximum variation sampling, and peer checks were applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five main themes emerged from the data: interaction with opposite sex, sexual risk, sexual protective, sex education, and sexual vulnerability. Challenges while conducting sex research have been discussed. These challenges included assumption of promiscuity, language of silence and privacy concerns, and sex segregation policy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We described the strategies applied in our study and the rationales for each strategy. Strategies applied in the present study can be employed in contexts with the similar methodological and moral concerns.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Midwifery & Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.affiliation: Iranian National Center of Addiction Studies (INCAS); the Risk Behavior Institution. Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Effat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Merghati-Khoei
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Midwifery & Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Lida
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moghaddam-Banaem
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Health Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zarei
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Research Group, Health Metrics Research Center, Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montazeri
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hajizadeh
keywords: Iran; Methodological considerations; Sexuality research