30% of the population do not beleive in pre marital sex

[Oneeyedvic]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7202947.stm

British people are increasingly tolerant of sex before marriage, a survey suggests.

The British Social Attitudes Survey suggests 70% of the 3,000 people polled had no objections to pre-marital sex - up from 48% in 1984.

This shocked me - I really thought it would be around 90% would find it acceptable.

Any thoughts?

[Gromit]

I have a friend who says she does not believe in Pre-Marital sex. It may be an excuse though, because she is quite ugly and I don't think anyone has ever asked her for any.

[China Doll]

I remeber the first guy I was seeing seriously about ten years ago so I was about eighteen.We actually lived together but my mother still made us sleep in seperate rooms when I went to visit her. I did once ask if she preferred that we sneak off and have sex in the back of a car in some dodgy multistorey and she actually said yes.

Although quite religious I know that it was less to do with that (she had pre-marital sex with my step dad, I heard them and it's still an unplesant memory) and more to do with showing a committment to each other. Although I was living with the boyfriend in question I think she sensed it wouldn't last (yu didn't need to bne mystic Meg) and for her pre-marital sex I guess should only be had if there is a definite committment to marital sex.

However knowing my own feelings on marriage this could be why she's insisting I sleep in the single bedroom when I move back.

[sense4all]

I once dumped someone for " saving himself" - perlease ... no unpleasant wedding night shocks for me - thank you very much!!! lol.

[Kathyan]

You wouldn't buy a car without a test drive, would you?

[jno]

The same number as racists, I see.

The report doesn't break the figures down, but I suspect most of those still against premarital sex are 60 or above, who still make up a sustantial section of the population but who don't have much influence on behaviour in this particular matter. They didn't do it (allegedly) and thought abstinence did them no harm, suspect young people who do it today are no happier for it, but are no longer parents of young people and don't enforce their views on grandchildren. So the figure sounds plausible.

[Ethel]

What a laugh, jno. Of course we over 60s had pre-marital sex. We just didn't brag about it and were perhaps more fussy.

I think there may be a backlash against it all though over the next 20 years as more and more headlines show truly appalling behaviour that surely no right-thinking person can really believe is okay.

[Hellyon]

pmsl jno!
As most over 60's were in their teens and 20's in the 1960's I think it fair to say they invented premartital sex, or was The Summer of Love only for those who were married!!

[jno]

well, that's why I said 'allegedly', Ethel. (I was born inside marriage, but only just, so I know it wasn't exactly universal.)

The actual thought processes will be more complicated than the ones I outlined, but the social bias was clearly against premarital sex, and many of those who grew up then still feel that system worked even if more honoured in the breach than in the observance. I welcomed the greater sexual freedom that became available from the 1960s, but even then it was clear it benefited men more than women.

There's more genuine gender equality in sexual behaviour now. Has it made people happier? Being over 30, I find it hard to say. Being under 30, young people probably aren't in a position to make comparisons either. I would guess that a more relaxed attitude to premarital sex has made for a more tolerant society, which I think is a good thing. But if I were a bit older I might reasonably feel the opposite, and take my place among the 30%.

[jno]

PS Hellyon, you're right - I just drew the figure 60 out of a hat, but 65 might have been better. The real change in behaviour has come among people in their late teens rather than those in their 20s.

[jno]

... in fact, not even late teens: those aged 15 to 18, really.

[Quinlad]

Don't be fooled by the figures.

We British are still extremely coy about what we get up to in the bedroom. That doesn't mean we don't get up it. You could just as easily ask for people's attitudes on having sex with colleagues. Who's approves of that? We still do it though.

[mightyWBA]

What the survey doesn't reveal is 50% of married people who are tolerant to loads of pre-marital sex,
don't agree to loads of post marital sex.
No prizes for guessing the gender.
:-(

[RebeccaSJ]

I was brought up believing it was wrong. I believed that until the first time I did it.