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Ear to the Ground

95% of Americans Have Had Premarital Sex

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Posted on Dec 19, 2006
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researchmatters.harvard.edu

A new study of 38,000 Americans has found that 95 percent had premarital sex, challenging the wisdom of the abstinence-only sex education programs favored by the Bush administration.  According to the study’s author: “It would be more effective ... to provide young people with the skills and information they need to be safe once they become sexually active—which nearly everyone eventually will.”

The study also determined that engaging in premarital sex to be fairly consistent from the 1950s on, refuting the claim that people were simply less sexually active before marriage in the good old days.


AP:

The study, examining how sexual behavior before marriage has changed over time, was based on interviews conducted with more than 38,000 people—about 33,000 of them women—in 1982, 1988, 1995 and 2002 for the federal National Survey of Family Growth. According to Finer’s analysis, 99 percent of the respondents had had sex by age 44, and 95 percent had done so before marriage.

Even among a subgroup of those who abstained from sex until at least age 20, four-fifths had had premarital sex by age 44, the study found.

Finer said the likelihood of Americans having sex before marriage has remained stable since the 1950s, though people now wait longer to get married and thus are sexually active as singles for extensive periods.

The study found women virtually as likely as men to engage in premarital sex, even those born decades ago. Among women born between 1950 and 1978, at least 91 percent had had premarital sex by age 30, he said, while among those born in the 1940s, 88 percent had done so by age 44.

“The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have already had sex before marriage, which calls into question the federal government’s funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12- to 29-year-olds,” Finer said.

Under the Bush administration, such programs have received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.

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By helloseattle, February 19 at 3:41 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

ultimately, i think that saving sex for marriage is great but like everyone has said, you need to try a shirt first.

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By sextoyshop, February 13 at 6:34 pm #

The Heritage Foundation is responsible for an entire generation of sexual rogues with all the urges of adults with no information as how to experiment with them safely.  To deny kids information about masturbation, adult sex toys, unhealthy attitudes in most pornography, and safe sex alternatives is setting them up for failure befor ethey even begin.  Shame on you Ed Feulner, for shame.

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By bkj, October 27, 2008 at 10:02 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

get a life poeple

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By Pajazetovic, October 27, 2008 at 9:55 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Ok people some of you have taken this way too far, ahum Ugk and Augie. First of all Augies, everyone including women have their own opinion and is entitled to it. You can never take that away from people, and you can never change that. For example I think that sex for money is wrong and disqusting, but that is your own opinion. Plus how do you expect anyone to take you seriously when you say that premarital sex is “wrong” but money for sex is god? WTF? Second, how many people have been vergins when they got married but then went outside their marriage?? A LOT!! Lets take Nick Lachey and Jesica Simpson for example. Just because you are a virgin does not mean you can make your marriage and your problems work and last.

And then there is people like you Ugk. People like you scare me! Stop blaming and hating the world for your problems and depression or whatever the hell is wrong with you. This is not the movie 40 year old virgin. This is real life and people choose to do things they want to do. I can most cartainly guess you hate every single homosexual. GET OVER IT!  Whatever generation you grew up in is over. You cannot decide for others.  Maybe people like you canno control their own lufe so they are tring to control everyone elses. And STD’s are not only caused through sex.

And last but not least, according to Sternberg’s Triacrhhic Theory of Love, Love includes 3 things:
Passion( physical, sexual attraction), Intimacy (warmth, closeness and sharing), and Commitment ( intent to stay together). Translation, sex is a normal and healthy part of a relationship. Its the best part of a relationship, along with communication and commitment.

So in conclusion people stop freaking out.

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By SassyLover, October 6, 2008 at 9:01 pm #

Sometimes its better to use adult toys instead

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By SassyLover, October 6, 2008 at 8:59 pm #

I think its not that bad. It helps to lower a divorce %.

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By Katie, September 22, 2008 at 11:17 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

That last comment was addressed to “ugk” by the way.

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By Katie, September 18, 2008 at 12:35 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m pretty sure that I have never spread a disease. . . condom anyone? I have a few questions for you. First of all do you have any sources to back up all your statements (that are credible and not bias in any political or religious manner) or are you just on a conservative extremist christian rant? STD’s actually tend to be on the decrease because public schools are beginning to abandon the abstinence rule of thumb and teach about effective contraceptives. Also judging by the biological knowledge of humans, I doubt children will be having sex. The average person can’t even feel sexual arousal to a year or two after the onset of puberty. I agree with you that a relationship does take hard work and communication hence why anyone who isn’t a whore, will most likely have the “our we ready” discussion with their partner. When to have sex is such a personal question that it can not be set to limitations of married or not, the fact is you’re ready when you’re ready, and as long as your honest with yourself it shouldn’t matter whether or not your married. May I also point out that the anger, violence, and depression you point out is also a little more false than it is true. The united states is in a lower percentage of viloent crimes than it ever has been in the past. Don’t believe me? Poke your nose around the U.S. census bureau once and while. I’m sorry but I can’t have much respect for someone who can’t back up an argument or for that matter even state it without throwing in completely irrelevant slander and vulgarity. If you’re going to debate do it respectfully. I do not think any less of someone if they choose to be abstinent and I doubt anyone else on this comment wall does as well. I’ve only had one sex partner, I’m not married, though I intend on marrying my current boyfriend, does that make me a cowardly std spreading slut? Must I even ask what your views are on homesexual relationships? Judging by your previous posts I doubt they are that insightful. I’m sorry but if your in love, your in love no matter the sex of your partner and should gays and lesbians never express their love physically simply because most state legislature doesn’t allow them to be wed? I don’t know, just some thoughts to ponder.

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By augie, May 21, 2007 at 12:37 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I was talking to two of my friends who including me were virgins when married. Excluding the liars, I think we comprise the 5 percent minority. I hear that men are on a marriage strike.  They don’t want to get married. Fine,I think women need to stop having sex with men until they marry us. I know if my husband dies. I am at least getting the going prostitution rate. Why should I do it for free? To all you test drivers out there, I am sure you will
find some women out there to do it with you. I personally would rather be alone. I am sick of woman who sleep with men in hopes they will get some attention. They when the men won’t marry them, they say okay let’s live together. The women end up begging for a permanent relationship. As for the few smart women out there, either marry us, or pay us cash. No more free sex.

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By Ben Takin, January 24, 2007 at 9:38 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

ugk?

You are wound too tight—I think you need some sex.

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By ugk, January 24, 2007 at 6:21 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

You are all a bunch of extremely selfish people who are each individually responsible for the rise and spread of disease. No contraceptive protects against the new STDs. New STDs are discovered all the time and most promiscuous people have some form or another without even realising it. Yes there have been promiscuous people throughout history e.g Vatsyana (author of Kama Sutra), Don Juan etc. But now everybody seems to be engaging in it and in another 10 years or so children (forget teen agers) will start doing it. Because every motherfucker is so busy trying to satisfy their insatiable desires, they dont realise that in the long run everybody is going to suffer. I am convinced that STDs will wipe humans out eventually. Making a relationship work requires hard work and a clear communication and not to mention a subdued ego. Therefore some abstainees may find that their married relationship runs into trouble. There are some seriously misguided people who seem to suggest that having orgasmic sex with many partners will make them better marriage material. You all know deep inside that what you are doing is wrong! But your egos are so inflated that you wont admit you are all miserable. Just because people say that they are happy being promiscuous tells me that they are filthy liars. You want to go around pretending that you are all happy healthy fully fnctional adults. Guess what? You are all a bunch of fucking liars who are trying to drag innocent teenagers and young adults into the pile of shit you are swimming in. Over 90% of adults are promiscuous and society is going downhill! You make the connection. You can tell me everything is fine but on a day to day basis i see violence , anger , depression, failed marriages resulting in under parented kids etc etc etc. Immoral behaviour plays a major role in this.
I have nothing polite to say to all these filthy scum who are destroying other species aswell as our own. Our parents generation in the sixties/seventies decided to break away from restriction. Now it is time that some intelligent and brave people in my generation stand up and change the flow of the river. Of course people will criticise our efforts as well as the pathetic losers leaving comments here.
That idiot who said that abstainees never have orgasms is probably speaking for himself/herself. Married couples can have amazing sex as they begin to understand their bodies better. Yes abstaining wont create a magical loving relationship but hard work and communication will. This is certainly the option for brave and strong young people. It takes tremendous courage to take pride in saying you are an abstainee. Only cowards jump into the bandwagon. I dont agree with the bush admin though. They are immoral enough to invade another country and then preach morals? I dont think so.

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By Polly Ester, December 21, 2006 at 10:05 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

“I’d never buy a car without test driving it first, never buy a house without going inside… Long-term (especially life-long!) commitments need to be examined from all angles before you make them or you’re bound to screw up and regret it later”

Nothing in life can be guaranteed 100 percent—that’s why they have “Lemmon Laws.”

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By Spinoza, December 21, 2006 at 2:15 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

http://www.globalorgasm.org/

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By Spinoza, December 21, 2006 at 2:10 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

The sexual urge is very powerful and it makes no sense to not enjoy sexual activity while at the same time not being promiscuous and therefore preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

Don’t forget to have an orgasm on Dec 22, the universal orgasm day and anti war surge!

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By John Doe, December 20, 2006 at 10:02 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I’d be amused if this was actually shocking news to anyone ~ even to the religious right and the NeoCons who fantasize that abstinence actually works.

I enjoyed my first real sex at 18 with the woman who has been my wife for 36+ years.

What I find absolutely stupifying is this country’s (current administration’s?) position on sex education. Why would you NOT want to provide both contraception and related information for teens? What part of preventing pregnancy and disease do you NOT understand?

We should keep shoving the Netherland’s teen pregnancy statistics down the NeoCon’s throats until they choke.

People are going to have sex. Period.

What’s truly dismal are the divorce statistics. People are obviously not mature enough to understand what is required in a long term relationship. The woman thinks she’ll change the man, the man thinks the woman will never change, and both are fools.

What’s needed is a more mature sense of tolerance and less me-first selfishness. The sex will take care of itself. More couples are likely separated over arguments involving money or non-mutual interests than sex.

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By Rodney Matthews, December 20, 2006 at 6:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

And the other 5% are liars.

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By vet240, December 20, 2006 at 5:53 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I always find it amazing when scientists prove the obvious.

I likewise find it amazing that so many followers of so many faiths who profess their belief in a higher power seem to take great relish in damning a behavior that is most obviously ordained.

I’m sure many of the worlds religious followers will continue to teach that Killing is ordained(As approved by humans), but humans have also determined that God was wrong on the issue of procreation so keep it in your pants young people!

It’s all about procreating people. The world is just one big Womb!

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By Jeanne, December 20, 2006 at 5:29 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The Republicans in Congress are so phony. Give me a break. No sex before marriage. Not only do they have sex before marriage but a lot of them have sex with multiple partners after marriage. I’m sick of their holier than thou attitude.

AND…tell me who can get married these days of no insurance, lack of job security, rising cost of everything. A lot of people are just trying to make ends meet.

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By C Quil, December 20, 2006 at 2:44 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

They had to do a study on this?

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By james j, December 20, 2006 at 2:36 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Where do i Sign up

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By Sam, December 20, 2006 at 2:33 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Before getting married, people should make sure they have romantic chemistry, share simillar life goals and ideals, familiarize themselves with the bad and the good of their partner, live with them to ensure they can live together without going crazy…

If you are choosing one person to be with for the rest of your life, why wouldn’t you be sure that the sex you’ll be having is as amazing as the rest of the relationship??

I’d never buy a car without test driving it first, never buy a house without going inside… Long-term (especially life-long!) commitments need to be examined from all angles before you make them or you’re bound to screw up and regret it later.

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By HeadlessHessian, December 20, 2006 at 10:44 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

It was meant to happen.  Mother Nature wants it to happen.  I don’t see the surprise here.  What I do see as obvious is the stupidity of the Shrub Administration and its religious bent.

Headless

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By Polly Ester, December 20, 2006 at 2:41 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

“Leslee Unruh, who runs a South Dakota-based organization promoting abstinence-only education, contended that increasing numbers of young people were open to remaining chaste until marriage.”

South Dakota seems to be the Mecca of religious mullahs—who promote abstinence, and then tried but failed to pass a ban on ALL abortions—-theological retribution or better known as misogyny.

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By Fadel Abdallah, December 20, 2006 at 2:13 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Congratulation Americans on insisting to have your virgins as soon as possible here on earth!

While some other cultures are stereotyped about the desire of some few to get “seventy heavenly virgins” after some act of self-sacrifice for a cause they strongly believe in, Americans, in larger numbers, seem to believe and practice the concept that one pie in hand is better than seventy pies in the sky.

The question to this writer’s inquisitive mind is, “Which value system is worse?”

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By Quy Tran, December 20, 2006 at 1:09 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

No big deal ! When you want to buy a shirt you need to try it first.

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