Premarital sex

Premarital sex is sexual activity performed by people before they're married. In the past, premarital sex was called a moral issue. It was taboo in many cultures. It was also called a sin by many religions. Since about the 1960s, however, it has become more accepted, especially in the Western world.

Until the 1950s, "premarital sex" meant having sexual relations between two people before they married each other.

Beginning in the 1920s, and especially after World War II, premarital sex became more common, especially with women. By the end of the 20th century, 75 to 80 percent of Americans had performed vaginal intercourse before age 19.

A 2011 study looked at young adults. It found that men said they had fewer negative and more positive emotional reactions. Women said condom use had fewer positive and more negative reactions. But cohort studies over 23 years found that in later years, women had greater pleasure and less guilt.