Extramarital Affairs of Women with an Emphasis on Interpersonal Factors

Introduction: Extramarital affairs are one of the most important threats to the stability and continuity of marriage and one of the most severe causes of marital disputes. Divorce is another critical issue that affects and damages the functioning of the family. Accordingly, this study aims to understand extramarital relationships in women and seek effective causes of it. Methods: This is a qualitative study using the qualitative content analysis method. Based on theoretical saturation criteria, thirty-four women participated in this study. A semi-structured interview method was used to collect information. Results: After analyzing the content of the information obtained from the interviews, the themes of disruption in love and feeling of belonging to the spouse, lack of alignment and companionship, low quality of sexual intercourse, and dysfunctional relationships were identified as the main themes. Conclusions: The occurrence of extramarital affairs in women is not a one-dimensional phenomenon but the result of the several factors' interaction, plus the role of interpersonal factors is fundamental. Due to the nature of these factors, paying attention and providing the necessary training to couples in this field can play a decisive role in reducing extramarital affairs.