Strengthens Marriage. By Ellin HolohanHealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Dec. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Having sex early in a relationship may lead to less satisfying marriages because couples can fail to develop important skills to communicate well and resolve conflicts, new research suggests. The study, done at Brigham Young University in Utah, found that married couples who had delayed sex while they were dating were more likely to communicate, enjoy sex and see their marriage as stable than those who had sex early on.
They also were generally more satisfied with their marriages. Why would rushing into intimacy impede marital happiness? According to study co-author Dean M. "The take-home message is that sex is a powerful experience," said Busby. About 85 percent of Americans report having had premarital sex, according to research cited in the study. The study authors cited "relationship inertia," a theory from earlier research, as a reason poorly matched couples stay together. Happier Marriages. While there are still couples who wait for a deep level of commitment before having sex, today it’s far more common for two people to explore their sexual compatibility before making long-term plans together.
So does either method lead to better marriages? A new study in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Family Psychology sides with a delayed approach. The study involves 2,035 married individuals who participated in a popular online marital assessment called “RELATE.” From the assessment’s database, researchers selected a sample designed to match the demographics of the married American population. The extensive questionnaire includes the question “When did you become sexual in this relationship?” A statistical analysis showed the following benefits enjoyed by couples who waited until marriage compared to those who started having sex in the early part of their relationship: - Relationship stability was rated 22 percent higher - Communication was rated 12 percent better.
Likelihood of Divorce. A University of Iowa study found that women who make their sexual debut as young teens are more likely to divorce, especially if "the first time" was unwanted, or if she had mixed feelings about it. Published in the April issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family, the analysis found that 31 percent of women who had sex for the first time as teens divorced within five years, and 47 percent divorced within 10 years. The divorce rate for women who delayed sex until adulthood was far lower: 15 percent at five years, and 27 percent at 10 years. Author Anthony Paik, associate professor of sociology in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, examined the responses of 3,793 ever-married women to the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth.
A first sexual experience that was unwanted or not completely wanted was strongly associated with divorce. If the young woman chose to lose her virginity as a teen, the results were more nuanced. Link to Divorce. October 31st, 2011 by Olivier Overview Sociology Professor Jay Teachman, of Western Washington University, conducted a study to determine the association between premarital sex, premarital cohabitation, and the risk of divorce. Teachman’s research differentiates itself because the study simultaneously examines both premarital sex and premarital cohabitation. This study was published in the May 2003 edition of the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Results and Significant Data Notable Excerpts and other Facts Professor Jay Teachman: Women with no premarital sex or premarital cohabitation serve as the baseline I control for a wide range of potentially confounding variables that have been identified in the literature… race, religion, education, parental education, parental marital history, premarital births and conception, and spouse homogeneity with respect to race, religion, and age. Megan Sweeney, a sociologist at the University of California, adds her own comments: Reflections Link to the Study.