Sex in relation

Everyone knows that relationship dynamics change over time, but how does sex change things? In a new study, researchers set out to discover what happens to a relationship after couples have sex for the first time. The study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, found what happened to the relationships of 2, hetero American men and women after the first sexual encounter. Researchers tracked the relationship trajectories of to year-olds by pulling data from the National Survey of Family Growth between and Well, more often than not, relationships are often transitory after the first sexual encounter. In fact, your background could also play an important role in determining relationship progress or failure.

How long should you wait to have sex? Nearly 50 percent of straight couples in a new survey reported holding out one week to a month before getting it on with their partners. Only 18 percent of the men and women surveyed reported waiting less than a week to have sex. That first time matters because sex is an incredibly vulnerable act, says relationship therapist Paul Hokemeyer, Ph. But you can never move past your nerves until you just do the damn thing, right? That got us thinking: Is there ever really a perfect moment to seal the deal? Kerner and Hokemeyer both agree that it totally depends on the individual, and there are pros and cons to both having sex early on or choosing to wait a couple of months.

Learn more. At any age, new lovers can't keep their hands off each other. But the "hot and heavy" period ends after a year or so, and sexual frequency declines.

Last Updated: August 10, References. Tasha is affiliated with the Dwight D. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed , times.