Flashback Friday: Finally, science weighs in: should you give it up on the first date?

Photo: flickr/Emily Rachel HildebrandIt's the eternal question: should you get busy on the first date or wait until later in the relationship? In this study, the researchers surveyed over 10,000 people in unmarried romantic relationships to find out how the timing of "sexual initiation" is related to relationship satisfaction, stability, and communication. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they found that "waiting to initiate sexual intimacy in unmarried relationships was generally associated with positive outcomes." So how long should you wait? Well, the couples with the most positive outcomes actually abstained until marriage. Did we mention the authors of this study were from the Brigham Young University "School of Family Life"?Differing Relationship Outcomes When Sex Happens Before, On, or After First Dates. "While recent studies have suggested that the timing of sexual initiation within a couple’s romantic relationship has important associations with later relationship success, few studies have examined how such timing is associated with relationship quality among unmarried couples. Using a sample of 10,932 individuals in unmarried, romantic relationships, we examined how four sexual-timing patterns (i.e., having sex prior to dating, initiating sex on the first date or shortly after, having sex after a few weeks of dating, and sexual abstinence) were associated with relationship satisfaction, stability, and communication in dating relationships. Results suggested that waiting to initiate sexual intimacy in unmarried relationships was generally associated with positive outcomes. This effect was strongly moderated by relationship length, with individuals who reported early sexual initiation reporting increasingly lower outcomes in relationships of longer than two years." Related content: Does she want a hookup or a relationship? The answer is in her gaze.NCBI ROFL: Scientifically proven dating tips for the ladies.NCBI ROFL: Scientific study exposes lying on online dating profiles.