Study: Couples Who Wait, Get Benefits Later

For those of you with young adult or teenage children, listen up.

A new study in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Family Psychology
suggests that delaying sex might strengthen marriage; waiting is linked to better communication and stability in the relationship.

Read the full article at BYU website. Links at the top also take you to other national publication articles on the study for a broader picture.

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
-    Relationship satisfaction was rated 20 percent higher
-    Sexual quality of the relationship was rated 15 percent better
-    Communication was rated 12 percent better
For couples in between – those that became sexually involved later in the relationship but prior to marriage – the benefits were about half as strong.

Couples who hit the honeymoon too early – that is, prioritize sex promptly at the outset of a relationship – often find their relationships underdeveloped when it comes to the qualities that make relationships stable and spouses reliable and trustworthy.

Regardless of religiosity, waiting helps the relationship form better communication processes, and these help improve long-term stability and relationship satisfaction.

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