Research conducted by Nicholas H. Wolfinger, a professor in the University of Utah, Department of Family and Consumer Studies, is one of the first studies to examine the changing link between premarital sex and marriage stability.

1. Sexual Promiscuity
Before Marriage Doesn't
Lead to Divorce, a
Study Shows
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2. Research conducted by Nicholas H. Wolfinger, a professor in the University of
Utah, Department of Family and Consumer Studies, is one of the first studies
to examine the changing link between premarital sex and marriage stability.
While there has been previous evidence showing that premarital sex leads to
less happier marriages, Wolfinger presents contradictory evidence: sexual
promiscuity before marriage will not necessarily lead to higher rates of
divorce.
Women Have More Sexual Partners than in Previous Years
Following the Sexual Revolution, there has been more liberal attitudes towards
sex. Statistics show that in the 1970s, 21% of brides were virgins, but by
2010, only 5% hadn’t taken any sexual partners before tying the knot. Taking
that idea further, during the 1970s, only 2% of future wives had more than 10
partners before marriage. By 2010, the number had risen to 18% of all women
brides.

3. Having Less Partners Leads to Over-Emphasized Comparisons
Surprisingly, women with exactly two premarital partners have consistently
higher divorce rates than women who had slept with 3 to 9 people before
marriage. The reason behind it lies in Wolfinger’s idea of “over-emphasized
comparisons.” Women tended to compare their current spouse to their previous
partner, and it often led to marital dissatisfaction and unrealistic expectations.
Wolfinger adds that while having two partners may lead to uncertainty and
insecurity, having more partners before walking down the aisle leads to more
exposure and better clarity about the right person to marry.
Society is Now More Accepting of Premarital Sex
According to Wolfinger, “hooking up has been exaggerated by a prurient and
overheated media and sometimes by young people themselves.” In general,
Americans have developed more positive attitudes towards premarital sex,
and, as a result, its negative effects on marital stability have also waned. In
fact, studies show that entering a marriage with multiple sex partners in the
past only proves the seriousness and commitment of spouses in their current
relationship.

4. New research has shown that premarital sex only has negative effects on
marriage stability in the case of women who have had only two partners before
marriage. While those that practice premarital abstinence have long lasting
marriages, the number of married couples that stay together, even those that
had up to ten partners, were just the same.
Resources:
http://matthewsfamilylawyers.com/
http://family-studies.org/counterintuitive-trends-in-the-link-between-premarital-
sex-and-marital-stability/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160606082607.htm
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/08/the-right-s-bogus-virgin-
bride-myth.html
http://kutv.com/news/local/more-sexual-partners-before-marriage-doesnt-mean-
divorce-according-to-new-u-study