Mahnaz Joukar

Background: When a person has a healthy childhood and puberty, in adulthood he should be able to experience intimacy and empathy with others, especially the opposite sex. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the components of intimacy in the intimate relationships of single young people in Shiraz. Methodology: In this study, to collect and evaluate information about the experience of intimacy in of single young people, a qualitative study with a grand theory approach was used and 20 female and male participants with intimate relationships were selected by purposive sampling method and data were collected through Semi-structured interviews with them continued until the data were saturated. Results: Data analysis led to 15 components of intimacy in intimate relationships of single youth, including: emotional intimacy, psychological intimacy, sexual intimacy, intellectual intimacy, physical intimacy, spiritual intimacy, aesthetic intimacy, social and recreational intimacy Temporal intimacy, commonalities, creating passion and meaning in life, the impact of interpersonal skills on intimacy, personal characteristics and experiences, commitment and long-term relationship with the goal of marriage and respect for boundaries. Conclusions: The results of this study enrich the previous research literature on intimacy in the intimate relationships of single young people. Also, the structure of intimacy components extracted in this study is widely used to formulate and apply educational programs for young people, as well as to improve the consequences of intimate relationships.