Women who engage in sexual intercourse before the age of 16 are more likely to divorce in the future, according to research reported on the Eurek Alert website.
The risk of divorce is also much higher for ladies whose first time was unwanted or who had mixed feelings about it.
Such conclusions were reached by scientists from the University of Iowa (USA) after analyzing the data collected among nearly 3800 women who had married at least once.
It turned out that women whose first intercourse was not fully wanted or took place before the age of 16, divorced more often than women who wanted the first intercourse or who survived it in adulthood. If a woman had sexual initiation at the age of 16 or 17 but wanted her, it was not directly related to the risk of divorce.
According to the researchers, 31 percent got divorced in the first five years. of respondents who had their first sexual intercourse in adolescence and 15 percent. women who survived it in adulthood. After 10 years, this percentage was respectively – 47%. and 27 percent
The researchers emphasized that few women who started intercourse before the age of 18 admitted that they fully desired the first intercourse. In the case of women whose initiation took place before the age of 13, this percentage was 1%. It grew to 5 percent. in women who underwent it at the age of 14 or 15 and up to 10% when the age of initiation was 16 or 17.
According to the researcher, Dr. Anthony Paik, these results confirm the thesis that starting sex life early may have various negative consequences – e.g. a bad impact on the stability of a future marriage.
This can be explained in several ways. Statistical analyzes carried out by a specialist suggest that sexual experiences at an early age lead to the emergence of behaviors and beliefs conducive to the breakdown of a relationship. If the first sex was not completely wanted or had a traumatic context, it is easy to imagine how this could negatively affect a woman’s approach to male-female relationships or her ability to form such relationships, Dr. Paik explains.
As he points out, another explanation cannot be ruled out – that women who begin sexual life early are more predisposed to divorce.
You can read more on this in the Journal of Marriage and Family. (PAP)