For a Better Relationship, Postpone Sex

If you’re after a healthy relationship, it may be best to wait before hitting the sack. Couples who wait longer are more satisfied and stable later, research published in the Journal of Family Psychology suggests. “If couples become sexual too early, this very rewarding area of the relationship overwhelms good decision-making and keeps couples in a relationship that might not be the best for them in the long run,” the study's head tells LiveScience.

Researchers looked at 2,035 heterosexual people married for the first time; their average age was 36. They asked subjects when they first had sex with their spouses, and questioned them to find out about their level of communication, satisfaction, and stability with their partners. Those who delayed sex until marriage rated their relationship stability 22% higher than those who had sex within the first month; they called their relationship satisfaction 20% higher and sexual quality 15% higher. The Telegraph notes that couples who had sex after the one-month mark but before marriage reaped about half the benefit.
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