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LDS Women: 58% Admit Premarital Sex

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  • LDS Women: 58% Admit Premarital Sex

    This is from a SL Trib article published almost 20 years ago:
    Fifty-eight percent of Mormon women admit to having sexual intercourse before marriage. And fewer than 70 percent of Mormon marriages are intact after 10 years - the lowest percentage among whites citing religious affiliation.

    These were some of the findings presented by two Brigham Young University sociologists at the 13th Annual Sunstone Symposium on Thursday.

    Fourteen percent of LDS teens say they have smoked a cigarette in the last month.

    Mormons have been slowly accommodating their behavior to the norms of the surrounding culture, yet these changes have scarcely been recognized by the LDS leadership, who still require premarital chastity.

    "No doubt, dramatic changes in sexual norms have . . . created a generation gap between leaders and the youth," said Tim Heaton, one of the sociologists who analyzed the sexual behavior and marital trends among Mormon women.

    "These trends coupled with some reluctance to discuss sexual issues openly could lead to an increasing discrepancy between official codes of conduct and actual behavior."

    Mr. Heaton looked at three national studies that examined women's behavior on the issues of sex, marriage and children. He then compared and analyzed Mormon women's behavior with other religious traditions and denominations.

    These studies show that while premarital sexual behavior among Mormon women is increasing, it is still below the national norm.

    Moreover, the percentage of LDS cohabitation is almost half the national number - 12 percent - and not increasing. Mr. Heaton speculated that this might be because cohabitation is a public flouting of church standards.

    Other findings from Mr. Heaton's statistics include:

    » The median age of LDS women at the time of marriage is 20.6 years, younger than all other groups except Baptists and fundamentalist Protestants.

    » More Mormon women are married than the national average, 69 percent to 52 percent, respectively.

    » The median age of first birth was 22, much younger than most other religious groups

    » Seven percent of Mormon women give birth before marriage.

    The number of LDS marriages intact after 10 years is a significant, said Mr. Heaton. Most people assume the reason is because Mormons marry young or have too high expectations. However, according to Mr. Heaton, those Mormons who marry at an older age - defined as any time after 23 - are much more likely to divorce.

    Mr. Heaton speculates that this is because there is a great deal of pressure on "older" Mormon singles to marry and they might not make good choices.

    Stephen Bahr, also a BYU sociologist, looked at drug use among Mormon and other religious teens. His data were drawn from the 1984-87 Monitoring the Future Surveys, an annual study of 16,000 graduating high school seniors.

    Mr. Bahr concluded that Mormon teens have a lower incidence of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use when compared with other religious teens. But Mormons are similar to all the other religious traditions in their use of amphetamines and cocaine.

    Then Mr. Bahr re-evaluated the statistics and discovered that those who are "active" in their religion have much lower drug use.

    When asked why he only used women in his study of sexual behavior, Mr. Heaton replied that women are more truthful in reporting sexual data than men.

    The symposium, that concludes Saturday night at the University Park Hotel, is expected to draw 1,500 people. Sunstone Symposium was created as a forum to explore social, political and theological issues facing Mormons.
    http://www.sltrib.com/Utah%20Local%2...ts/ci_14492575
    Last edited by scottie; 03-02-2010, 07:12 AM.

  • #2
    If I was to have guessed, based solely upon my small and very limited ancedotal knowledge, I would have guessed 33% for girls and 40% for boys. What I have found interesting in this area, is much fewer LDS kids experiment with alcohol than most of the Mormons I knew in HS and pre-mission (when they would still brag about those things) 25 years ago.

    EDIT: My numbers were for both active and semi-active kids. If we are talking active kids only it would be 15-20% for both boys and girls, at least at graduation when I usually send them off on missions, to college, or the singles ward.
    Last edited by Art Vandelay; 03-02-2010, 07:45 AM.

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    • #3
      Mr Bahr did a re-evaluation and found that "active" members are less likely to be involved in drug use. Shocking, since if you use drugs, by definition you aren't active.

      I would guess that "active" members also are less likely to engage in premarital sex, alchohol use, tobacco use and cheering for the Utes.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by byu71 View Post
        Mr Bahr did a re-evaluation and found that "active" members are less likely to be involved in drug use. Shocking, since if you use drugs, by definition you aren't active.

        I would guess that "active" members also are less likely to engage in premarital sex, alchohol use, tobacco use and cheering for the Utes.
        If you cheer for the Utes, by definition you aren't active.
        "In conclusion, let me give a shout-out to dirty sex. What a great thing it is" - Northwestcoug
        "And you people wonder why you've had extermination orders issued against you." - landpoke
        "Can't . . . let . . . foolish statements . . . by . . . BYU fans . . . go . . . unanswered . . . ." - LA Ute

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        • #5
          Originally posted by DU Ute View Post
          If you cheer for the Utes, by definition you aren't active.
          It's rivalry half a week.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by byu71 View Post
            It's rivalry half a week.
            BYU fans like you are what's wrong with the rivalry, the Church and the Republican Party.
            "In conclusion, let me give a shout-out to dirty sex. What a great thing it is" - Northwestcoug
            "And you people wonder why you've had extermination orders issued against you." - landpoke
            "Can't . . . let . . . foolish statements . . . by . . . BYU fans . . . go . . . unanswered . . . ." - LA Ute

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by DU Ute View Post
              BYU fans like you are what's wrong with the rivalry, the Church and the Republican Party.
              OUCH!!

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by byu71 View Post
                OUCH!!
                I will probably feel bad about saying that Thursday morning, but not today!
                "In conclusion, let me give a shout-out to dirty sex. What a great thing it is" - Northwestcoug
                "And you people wonder why you've had extermination orders issued against you." - landpoke
                "Can't . . . let . . . foolish statements . . . by . . . BYU fans . . . go . . . unanswered . . . ." - LA Ute

                Comment


                • #9
                  Can I be my usual jerk self and ask what the point is of posting a 20 year old article today?
                  Ain't it like most people, I'm no different. We love to talk on things we don't know about.

                  "The only one of us who is so significant that Jeff owes us something simply because he decided to grace us with his presence is falafel." -- All-American

                  GIVE 'EM HELL, BRIGHAM!

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by falafel View Post
                    Can I be my usual jerk self and ask what the point is of posting a 20 year old article today?
                    Exactly. At the bare minimum the article should have provided updated statistics to compare against or tried to provide some additional material to make it relevant for 2010 rather than being some lazy ass regurgitation.
                    Everything in life is an approximation.

                    http://twitter.com/CougarStats

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                    • #11
                      I am curious to know more about the polling. If it was Utah only or nationally..

                      I would like to see the data verse places full of mormons vs those with very little..

                      Added note: Didn't realize the data was so old. I would also request an update of data..
                      Last edited by dabrockster; 03-02-2010, 08:24 AM.

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                      • #12
                        What good is this article now? Where was it when I was an unmarried undergrad at BYU?
                        Fitter. Happier. More Productive.

                        sigpic

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                        • #13
                          Heaton is a family friend.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by falafel View Post
                            Can I be my usual jerk self and ask what the point is of posting a 20 year old article today?
                            I think you're talking to the SL Trib rather than me, but just in case -- the SL Trib posted it today. I assume articles that old aren't available online (for free anyway), so I enjoy these blasts from the past.

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                            • #15
                              What I find more shocking and believable is that 47% of LDS women reported no sex after marriage.

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