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Premarital Sex & Divorce Rates
While cohabitation increases a couple's
rate for divorce, premarital sex doesn't have much of an effect. In
fact, in areas where premarital sex is strongly discouraged, such as the
"Bible Belt", divorce rates are much higher (perhaps because
couples get married so they can have sex).
"Premarital sex and cohabitation, if limited to the future husband,
do not increase the risk of divorce for women," says research by
Jay Teachmen at Western Washington University. Teachman
conducted a study on the divorce rates of women, and whether they
had cohabited or had premarital sex or not.
However, having more than one premarital sex partner does increase a person's
chance of divorce-- whether or not they cohabit.
This may be because people who have looser attitudes toward sex may also be less committed to exclusive relationships.
Megan Sweeny of the
University of California has observed the same pattern as a sociologist;
"It is interesting to note the number of women in Teachman's sample
who experienced premarital sex with multiple partners, rather than just
with their husbands. It is this experience of multiple sexual relationships
that Teachman finds to be associated with an increased risk of divorce.
The next task for social scientists is to better explain the association
Teachman identifies between marital dissolution and having multiple intimate
relationships before marriage."
So premarital sex may not be as damaging to a relationship as once thought--
provided that it is done only with one's future spouse, and not multiple
partners. But that doesn't mean you should rush off to do it with your
partner, either; waiting can only make you more sure they're "the
one", and there are plenty of
reasons to wait to have sex.
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