The sexual revolution in Iran has had such an impact: young people often disregard the moral values of the regime and engage in their preferred activities. They have sex before marriage, undergo hymen reconstruction surgery, and make homemade porn videos.

The camera zooms in on the door, which slowly opens. A bed is seen inside, with two young people having sex on it. A soft laughter is heard, not from the two young people, but from someone standing behind the camera. They slowly make their way towards the bed and get closer to it. For a moment, the two young people are scared, but then they realize that they are being filmed by the person and they all start laughing.

This is a scene from an Iranian homemade porn. But Iran and pornography? The internet is full of videos taken by young people of their own sexual activities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Meanwhile, some Iranian citizens are awaiting punishment on charges of illicit relationships. Punishments such as flogging and stoning, which are regularly mentioned in reports by human rights watch and Amnesty International.

In most films, the faces of individuals are unknown and the people behind the camera remain anonymous. Hundreds of websites and blogs offer such films that are mostly recorded with a mobile phone. In Iran, these films are exchanged through Bluetooth, email, or DVD.

During the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, promised to rid the country of Western influences. In the following years, the country became radically Islamized and individual and social freedoms were severely restricted. Women were forced to cover their heads and bodies, and gender segregation was implemented in many areas of social life. These were just two of the many tactics used by the regime to prevent illicit relationships between the two genders.

They claim that Khomeini’s goals have been covered by the actions of the society and that the Islamic Republic is currently the cradle of piety and spirituality throughout the world. But it seems that the reality is different.

“This is my right to do whatever I want with my body.”

Mahrakh, a 23-year-old student from Tehran, says: “Until recently, I lived in a girls’ dormitory in Tehran. Out of thirty dorm mates, except for one person, everyone had boyfriends and naturally had sex. Even those who were married eventually had a love affair.”

The internet, movies, books, and all cultural products in Iran are heavily censored. Owning a satellite is prohibited. The government controls communication with other countries in hopes of protecting people from “cultural invasion”. However, these prohibitions and restrictions have had the opposite effect and Iranian youth have turned away from the moral values of the government.

This reality is seen above all in the behavior of women. Until a few years ago, the use of the term “pure” was considered for women. Damaging the veil of purity before marriage could have disastrous consequences for a woman. However, the situation has changed. Bahar, a 30-year-old from Iran, says: “In big cities, there are many girls who are no longer virgins. They say, ‘This is my body, it is my right to do whatever I want with it. I don’t want a husband who judges me based on a veil. Never’.”

After the revolution, the level of education for women has had an upward trend and this reality has led to their awareness. They are no longer willing to submit to patriarchal values. Bahar says: “Many women work and provide for their expenses. Financial independence helps them make their own decisions. Men are gradually getting used to this situation.”

Magical ingredient instead of a curtain card

For many women who want to marry traditional men, there are medical solutions available. Hamidreza Shirmohammadi, head of the team for research and development of modern sexual medicine in Karaj, says, “In Iran, for less than 100 euros, the hymen can be repaired, but there are also simpler ways, a Chinese substance that currently costs as much as a piece of gum.” This magical Asian substance is a capsule that is placed in the vagina, and when having sexual intercourse, it breaks and releases a red liquid.

Nowadays, cohabitation without marriage is becoming more common in Iran. Mr. Shir-Mohammadi says: “Many young people no longer see a reason to get married. Not only because they can fulfill their sexual needs, but also because economic problems make starting a family difficult. Therefore, more and more young people in big cities are choosing this lifestyle.”

Government officials also confirm the increase in this trend, and it is clear that they do not know how to reverse or stop it. Iranian youth do not allow the government to interfere in their lives. The Islamic utopia, which the ayatollahs have longed to create, has failed as it has been completely segregated by gender.