Dating and Waiting: A Winning Combo!

What can you do to have better relationships? A new study says simply waiting longer to have sex may be the trick!

The study, from the Journal of Family Psychology, surveyed over 2,000 men and women to find out how stable and satisfying their relationships were, and also asked them at what point in their relationship they became sexually active. Across the board, couples who waited longer to have sex reported feeling more stable in their relationships and having better communication than couples who didn’t wait as long.

Maybe you’ve noticed this phenomenon in relationships that you’ve observed. Doesn’t it sometimes seem like couples who have “intense chemistry” early on also end up having the most drama – and ultimately break up? The authors noticed that couples who jump into bed don’t seem to develop the healthy communication skills that lead to better relationships. They also speculate that having sex in a relationship creates momentum that pushes even unhealthy relationships forward, probably causing couples to make poorer choices in who and how they date.

So what can you do to avoid the drama and heartache? Wait to have sex. Waiting until marriage to have sex is the healthiest choice – physically, emotionally, and relationally.