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Does sex on the first date ruin your relationship?

Does sex on the first date ruin your relationship?

Think she might be the one? Then you may want to think twice before accepting her offer of a nightcap.

Research examining how sexual timing is associated with relationship satisfaction, stability, and communication has found waiting to become intimate had a higher correlation with more favorable long-term relationship outcomes.

The answers of nearly 11,000 individuals involved in a steady relationship were grouped into four sexual-timing categories:


The result:


Breakdown

35.5 per cent had early sex (on the first date)

9.9 per cent had pre-dating sex (becoming intimate before committing to a dating relationship)

47.9 per cent had delayed sex (waiting to have sex until dating for several weeks)

6.6 per cent abstained from sex completely

Groups postponing sex the longest or abstaining completely expressed the highest levels of relationship satisfaction.

In terms of relationship stability and communication, variations between groups grew wider as time elapsed but by the two-year mark the no-sex group was the clear winner.


Your move:

The results suggest a relationship benefits in both the short- and long-term from delaying sexual activity. So if you think you and your new girl may have a shot, taking things slowly at first may give you a better shot at happily ever after. And besides, you can always make up for lost time once you decide to take it to the next level.

Related: Ready to take the plunge? Make it count with the best sex positions for women