Study: Definite Link between Premarital Sex, Cohabitation, and 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
- Multiple premarital sex partners enhance women’s risk of divorce, regardless of their cohabitation experiences.
- Women whose intimate premarital relationships are limited to their husbands—either premarital sex alone or premarital cohabitation—do not experience an increased risk of divorce
- Having at least one other intimate relationship prior to marriage is linked to an increased risk of divorce
- There is a substantially higher risk of marital dissolution if the woman both had sex with another man and cohabited with him
- 17.8% of women, in the sample size of 6,577, did not have premarital sex and did not cohabit prior to marriage.
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:
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.
Reflections
We live in a society which glorifies promiscuity or, at the very best, looks the other way. Time and time again we hear the adage “test drive the car before you buy it”. However, nothing speaks louder than research and statistics. Professor Teachman’s study is yet another piece of research, in the ever growing mountain of data, which proves what so many of us who are waiting until marriage already know: human beings are wired for monogamy. Furthermore, it is through monogamy that the highest chance for healthy, satisfying, successful marriages presents itself.
Link to the Study
Premarital Sex, Premarital Cohabitation, and The Risk of Subsequent Marital Dissolution Among
The first three pages contain a press release which comments on the study’s findings and significance. The remaining pages comprise the actual study.
Author: Olivier
Olivier writes many of the site's articles, some articles requiring many hours of research; he also helps with site strategy/focus. He has a Bachelors in Accounting, Masters in Theology, and is currently an accounting manager for a teleconferencing solutions company. In his spare time he enjoys reading, writing, NFL, and movies.
Sounds like a great study ! Thanks TG. Why do they only study women and not men ? Double standard ? Hard to find men who only had one partner ? If that’s the case, I’m not surprised. I’m waiting not only for myself, bit for my future relationship, we’ll see who makes the cut lol jk !
Cool study!
Sally: in statistics it is very common to study only one gender. For example, when determining if the population of a country is rising or falling, the average number of children born per woman is studied. It is not a double standard, but done simply because the data collected are more statistically sound this way.
Sally I liked your comment!
but my fav. part of this article is the “Reflections” part. I think that everyday!
Stevie — glad you liked the study! thanks for the tip about gender and statistics!
OneHappyGirl– I’m glad you liked the reflections part. What “part” do you think of everyday? The promiscuity? By the way, I haven’t forgotten about your PM!! I’ve been really busy and wanna put the most thought into it
. I plan to answer soon. Promise.
Oh hey, Sally. Glad you liked the study. I think Stevie answered the part about gender BUT I do see where you’re coming from. It seems like everyone studies women for whatever reason. I really wanna beef up this statistics section and I’m gonna run some more research ideas by Mike. If he approves them, I can guarantee that the next 2-3 research articles will be “all inclusive” in terms of gender. How does that sound?
That sounds great ! Sorry if that cane off bitter; I know its hard to tell reading text.
Lol don’t be silly and no need to apologize. that didn’t sound bitter at all!
Ooh okay just checking lol
Excellent job TG!
I hope this article encourage more and more people to MAKE THE CHOICE!
Though technically I am on leave yet I just couldn’t stop myself from commenting! LOL
Aditya — Hope your studies are going well!
I’m glad you liked it! I really appreciate that you came out of the woodwork to comment
. Lol I had to re-read the study a couple of times before I had a decent grasp on it, but it was worth it.
More research to follow! Including groundbreaking neuroscience on how casual sex affects the brain
Solid piece! There is a book called Living Together and Christian Ethics that also discusses this notion in depth.
Wow! The things you find when wandering the internet. I read a few articles and comments and browsed through your forums, and I have to say the majority of you posting here are in for some huge disappointments in life and possibly marriage if that happens for any of you.
I say this not because I think abstaining from premarital sex is impossible, but you all seem to be chasing a fantasy.
I’m sure one or more of you will write back claiming not to be, but you are.
I suspect many of you have issues with control as well.
No one will ever really be good enough for you, you set the bar high not because of the respect you say you have for yourself and marriage and family, but so you pat yourself on the back and feel superior to those around you.
Problem is when chasing a fantasy you miss out on life.
Most of you seem young perhaps you’ll find balance along the way.
Liz — Glad you liked it
Veda,
Thank you for being diplomatic in your criticism. Some people come here spewing venom but you haven’t done that. I’ve read and reflected on your post, giving you the respect you deserve.
Now, please give me the respect I deserve and allow me to address your post which, in my opinion, contains some severe loopholes.
“I read a few articles and comments and browsed through your forums, and I have to say the majority of you posting here are in for some huge disappointments in life and possibly marriage if that happens for any of you”
Re-read the above quote. Notice that you say you’ve read a “FEW” articles and “BROWSED” through the forums. Then, you continue to make a judgement about the “MAJORITY” of the people here. The site has close to 600 members!! Immediately, your judgement – whether positive or negative – is backed with no foundation simply because you’ve “browsed” and read a “few” things. Your judgement is even less credible because you decide to apply it to a “majority” of the people here (I suspect you came here already with some bias). I may have taken your assertion more seriously had you said “some” or “a few”.
Furthermore, you provide NO examples, NO evidence of any posts in the forums which lead you to come to your conclusion. I would love to see an example or two of the posts which makes us seem so incredibly delusional. Seriously.
“I say this not because I think abstaining from premarital sex is impossible, but you all seem to be chasing a fantasy.”
The first and last parts of this statement contradict each other. I Googled “define: fantasy” and the definition of fantasy is as follows: The faculty or activity of imagining things that are impossible or improbable. When you input this definition into your statement, what you’ve said is this: “I say this not because I think abstaining from premarital sex is impossible, but (by abstaining from premarital sex) you all seem to be chasing the impossible.
Secondly, this may surprise you but I agree with you!! To an extent that is. Many “waiters” possess an idealistic spirit. We are dreamers, we shoot for the stars. WHEN DID IT BECOME WRONG TO DREAM??!! The very fact that it’s wrong to dream nowadays is why I’m currently writing a poem about idealism.
I’m going to paraphrase a fellow member, Claire, when she said something about society conditioning us for mediocrity. In other words, society tells us to have a job that you couldn’t care less about, to marry whomever you’re dating at a certain age, to go through the motions of life without making a difference. Dreaming doesn’t mean you’re delusional. I’m aware that I may never get married or that I might die tomorrow. I’m aware that my future spouse may not be a virgin.
“I suspect many of you have issues with control as well.”
“No one will ever really be good enough for you, you set the bar high not because of the respect you say you have for yourself and marriage and family, but so you pat yourself on the back and feel superior to those around you.”
Again, PLEASE provide me with some posts/evidence. You’ve “browsed” and yet you confidently judge us. Furthermore, what you’ve stated is the exact OPPOSITE of the character of the people here. Did you ever think that perhaps society deems itself superior to us?
Secondly, what I LOVE about many of the members here is that we are open and accepting. We aren’t perfect, but many of us certainly don’t carry notions of superiority. This site has become a second home/family for many of us and I’ve gotten to know some of the people here – their dreams, hopes, desires, experiences – I can assure you that your assessment is false.
“Problem is when chasing a fantasy you miss out on life.”
Do you know how many countless people “made it” just because they chased the “improbable” or “impossible”? Tyler Perry, who once lived in his car, is now widely considered one of the most influential men in Hollywood. A young girl was molested by her uncle and cousin at age 9, and gave birth to a still born at age 13… that young girl was Oprah Winfrey. I suspect Iron Man A.C. Green, virgin till age 38, was foolish for chasing a the improbable too?
“Most of you seem young perhaps you’ll find balance along the way.”
Again with the “most”. Isn’t it presumptuous to form a conclusion on “most” of the people here when you’ve read a “few” articles and only “browsed”?
Secondly, you’ve made an all to common mistake of correlating age to maturity. There isn’t ALWAYS a correlation. People tell me countless times that they can never guess my age because I look really young for my age but I act way more mature than a 26 year old (yes, I’m 26). They tell me I act like someone who’s in his 30′s! Many of the people, on this site, whom I converse with are also far more mature beyond their years as well. Mike, who built this site from the ground up, is 28! At age 28 he’s already built a successful blog/social media website which encourages, inspires, and has become a home to many. Not many people in their 20′s can do that.
Thirdly, we have several members in their mid to upper twenties and their thirties. Hate to admit it… but some of us, including myself, ain’t that young
.
I thank you for your time, Veda, and wish you nothing but health, happiness, and success in life.
I did not say it’s impossible to remain a virgin till marriage or find a fellow virgin. For me twenty something is still young your brain and opinions are still forming.
I’ve read nearly all posts in the general discussion those in particular about who you will date, what kind of spouse you want, just how your married life will be , and I still hold that many of you are living in a dreamland as though life is some sort of fairytale.
You don’t seek a meaning relationship with a human being you seek perfection.
In my view perfection doesn’t exist. Forgive my English, but maybe many of you are afraid of a real life reltionship so you put up all these standards as sort of protection. Like a shield and always there is some reason a boy or girl doesn’t fit because they don’t meet perfection. You can hide behind the shield of he doesn’t meet my standards instead of being real and dealing with the reality of relationships.
I should say I see nothing wrong with dreaming big, and having plans, but I also know sometimes when you dream to much you miss something fantastic right in front of you.That’s just my feeling as I read.
Hey Veda!
At the risk of starting a flame war (please let’s not), I do feel I should address some of the points you’ve made…
“you all seem to be chasing a fantasy.
I’m sure one or more of you will write back claiming not to be, but you are.”
(yeah, I guess I’m the “more” of us!)
What do you mean by a “fantasy”? Saying we want to wait until marriage, and marry a husband/wife who will respect us and our decision? Or, do you mean “fantasy” as in, wanting someone who never makes a mistake, never does anything wrong, never gets angry, is good-looking, smart, funny…?
If it’s the latter, then I’ll just say, (what I believe, anyway, can’t speak for anyone else!) I’m not looking for the “perfect” husband. I just want someone who will love me, and whom I can love in return! Sure, if someone in the Forums asks, “What would you want in a husband”, of course I’ll give a description of the “perfect” husband, but I don’t actually believe that the guy I meet has to tick everything on the list.
If I met a man who I loved with all my heart, it wouldn’t matter to me if he wasn’t “perfect”. If he wasn’t good-looking, I wouldn’t care! If he wasn’t that smart, I wouldn’t care! Heck, I would still love him and support him if he was a drug addict! (Okay, that’s an extreme example, but you get what I mean.
You’re definitely right to address the fact that a lot of people (waiting till marriage or not) get a picture in their mind of the “perfect” partner, and don’t like the idea of settling for anyone who doesn’t fit that picture. I think it’s really important that, as you said, you don’t dream so much that you miss out on someone wonderful who isn’t “perfect”.
Anyway, thanks for your opinion! I think it’s really valuable to have a different perspective on sites like this!
xxx
We live in a society which glorifies promiscuity or, at the very best, looks the other way. Time and time again we hear the adage “test drive the car before you buy it”.
-this is the part I think about a lot Thatguy!
lovely article, states some solid facts right there!
Dear Veda,
I’ve been following the threads for a bit and I realised that infact, we’re all just trying to be happy(like everybody else in the world). If the belief that the perfect guy/girl exists for each of us makes us happy, so be it(Oh, am a waiter btw). Of course nobody would be stupid enough to dump someone based on the fact that he/she dint perfectly fit into their checklist criteria(that would be sad). But there is nothing wrong with having a list. Maybe the person I marry will hit that list(stranger things have happened), maybe he wont. Point is, how can you have a dream come true, if you don’t have a dream? shoot for the stars and fall in the sky – right?
Veda,
After reading through these post, I have a couple questions for you. Do you believe
That we all want a perfect person ? That’s clearly not so if you have followed all of out discussion
We ate all very real people, that’s one reason why I like this site so much
Everyone is honest about their struggles and talks about things like
If religion matters in finding a partner. That has nothing to do with perfection
Only personal prefernce or lack there of of faith. Do you have any qualities you are
Looking for in a spouse? My basics are respecting the tact that I’m a virgin/waiting, Christian,
And that’s really abt it. I’ll give any guy a chance that meets those two things.
Id wanna see how we get along personality wise and if I develop physical
Attraction or not. Thanks for Sharing
My wife and I both waited until we got married (I was 30, she was 27). I cannot describe how awesome it was to have preserved that gift for your spouse. I commend the folks on here for waiting until marriage. My wife and I did not miss out on anything…in fact, five years later, I still enjoy the discovery process of intimacy with the love of my life.
Thanks for sharing, Dr. Dan
. It’s always nice to hear success stories.
I feel the need to point out what a Veda is to all of you. You Googled “fantasy”, but didn’t think it relevant to Google Veda.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas
I miss one statistic on this site.
It is great when the women has saved herself for her husband, and that boosts up the successfulness of their marriage. That’s great. But what I lack in this statistic is how the marriage is affected when only one partner has saved him/herself while the other has not. As I am a male, I would be specifically interested in the case when the husband has preserved himself, while the wife has not?
This is the normal case for us who wait – usually we will end up with someone who has not waited because they are in majority. So, any chance that we get such statistic or at least some first-hand experience about that case. Thanks.
Hi Speed,
(I am thatguy). I noticed you posted in the “about us” page. I think that comment box was left there by accident, so please forgive us if we delete it.
Anyway, you are completely right. I’ve had intense search sessions and could not come across what you described. Unfortunately the studies on virginity are lopsided in that they they mostly focus on women. Regarding first hand experience, in the forums we do have a newer male member who waited till marriage but his wife did not. He has a happy marriage and has been a tremendous source of education, guidance and hope for many of us.
If you have any other suggestions, feel free to let me know. Thanks!
I should alsobpoint out that most of the women in this study probably married nonvirgins
The conclusion implies that divorce is a bad thing, and that the ultimate goal of relationships is to stay together.
Let us not forget that relationships are tools (one of many), used for the purpose of obtaining happiness. If an individual is not happy in a relationship, be it a marriage or not, why stay in it? Sometimes, a divorce (or separation) can be the better option, leading to a more joyful life.
Marriage is not the goal. Happiness is the goal. Marriage may or may not take you there (or further away).
The correct link to the study referenced in this article is http://www.ncfr.org/premarital-sex-premarital-cohabitation-and-risk-subsequent-marital-dissolution-among-women
Here is why you should save yourself till marriage
Romance without regrets by Jason Evert
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REj1rhc4RUk