Skype interviewing: The new generation of online synchronous interview in qualitative research

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasisis (RVVC) is one of the common vaginal infections in women which could affect their quality of life, romantic relationships, and sexual performance. There is some evidence that psychological problems result in the incidence of RVVC by changing the immune systems of individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the association of sexual function and psychological factors (depression, anxiety, and stress) in women with RVVC. In the case control study, fifty women with RVVC and 50 healthy women who referred to gynecology clinics were selected using convenience purposive sampling. Two samples of vaginal discharge were prepared from each person. A sample was produced under a microscope for direct observation of the organism with 10% potassium hydroxide secretions and another sample was cultured on Sabouraud Agar. Data collection tools used for this study included demographic questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 19). Less sexual satisfaction (OR = 0.608, CI =0.421-0.878) and less orgasm (OR = 0.741, CI =0.530-0.998) have been associated with an increased risk of RVVC. In patients with RVVC, the levels of depression, anxiety and stress were significantly higher compared to those of healthy individuals. Depression, anxiety and stress in the past 4 weeks are related to an increase risk of RVVC. There is an association between depression, anxiety and stress; sexual satisfaction; and orgasm with RVVC. It seems that psychological interventions and sexual counseling can be effective in improving RVVC.

There has been a recent shift in the field of sexual health, representing a move away from biomedical concerns to sexual rights frameworks. However, few studies on sexuality are based on a rights framework. The unspoken nature of sexuality in Iranian culture has led to a lack of national studies on the topic. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of married Iranian women on sexual rights in their sexual relationships. In this grounded theory study, 37 participants (25 married women, 5 husbands, and 7 midwives) were selected. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding using MAXQDA software version 2007. The analysis revealed the core category of “sexual interaction in the shadow of silence.” The interrelated categories subsumed under the core category included adopting a strategy of silence, trying to negotiate sex, seeking help, and sexual adjustment. The silence originating from women’s interactions with their families and society, from girlhood to womanhood, was identified as the core concept in Iranian women’s experiences of sexual rights. A focus on husbands’ roles seems salient because they can direct or alter some learned feminine roles, especially silence regarding sexual matters, which then affects the realization of women’s sexual rights.

Introduction: Infertility is a major medical issue. Investigations and treatment of infertility are the beginning of a complex, time-consuming and stressful process for couples that may fail well. The present study explored the needs of infertile couples following treatment failure with Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs). Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in an Iranian infertility center, in the Northeast of the country between April 2016 and June 2017. The researchers recruited 29 individuals including 9 couples, 9 women and two men with primary infertility through purposive sampling. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed iteratively, using conventional content analysis with MAXQDA software. Results: The main concepts obtained from the data were classified into one theme titled: ""The need for support"" and four main categories along with their subcategories, and included the need for psychological support, the need for more useful information, the need for social support and the need to access to supplementary services. Conclusion: The findings show that following treatment failure, the infertile patients’ expressed needs and preferences were not met. Identifying and meeting their needs may help the infertile couples to deal with ARTs failure and to reach a decision about future treatment.