Couples that Last Wait Until After Saying ‘I Love You’ to have Sex

Sex is a very important part in people's relationships. Although there have been studies examining the affects of sex in terms of the people's happiness, not many studies have looked into the affect of when a couple starts to have sex on the length of the relationship. According to one study, which dates back to the early 2000s, couples who wait until after saying "I love you" to have sex tend to stay together longer.

In this study, researcher Sandra Metts, a communications professor from Illinois State University, recruited almost 300 college-aged men and women. She concluded that couples who had sex before saying "I love you," were more likely to report negative experiences.

Based from the data, Metts also created a kind of checklist for couples to consider before having sex. Some of the more important factors include having an emotional connection and good communication.

Other studies and experts have also agreed that waiting till the right moment can affect the relationship in the long run.

Psychotherapist Toni Coleman stated that being emotional connected to your partner will make eh experience positive. Coleman's opinions are based on her work with single men and women who are trying to have successful relationships.

"You move past that, and your feet are more on the ground," she said. "I think that's probably the point at which [Mett's study] said, the couples who waited until that level fared a lot better than people who had sex on the first, second, or third date."

Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist from California, believes that timing is not the big issue. Instead he believes that as long as the people are comfortable with one another, sex can be a positive experience.

"The most important thing is you both agree not to push. Be clear that the person is comfortable," he explained.

For Goldsmith, 36 hours together is all people need to know if they should move to the next step of their relationship.