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Iranian forum looks to address so-called 'sexual crisis'

An Iranian media group is sponsoring a series of talks on the taboo subject of sex to deal with the so-called sexual crisis in the country.
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TEHRAN — A 1970s building on Tehran’s Enghelab (Revolution) Avenue that ends in Azadi (Liberty) Square has recently been the site for a series of meetings on an unusual subject given Iranian social norms. Every Tuesday, experts and members of the public come together there to talk, sometimes heatedly, about sex.

Since Dec. 4, “Forums on Sexual Crisis in Iran” has been bringing together academics, documentary filmmakers, clerics, journalists, students and women activists to discuss such issues as polygamy, sex education, homosexuality and transsexuality. The participants have also looked at temporary marriage (nikah mut’ah) and semi-independent marriage (in which a young couple officially marry and then live with his or her parents for a while), the pros and cons of Western approaches to sex-related matters and sexuality.

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