Portland's a pretty liberal town on the whole, and the dating scene reflects it. What's the average number of dates before a couple gets into bed? Probably about 4.
Even as people are "chill" about sex, they seem to suffer a great deal from relationships that don't work out, or which work out badly. People flirt, date, have sex, and THEN get to know the person they've slept with. Then they scratch their heads wondering why their relationship life is so troubled.
As much as we may want to think that sex and love are separate, biologically speaking, they aren't. Nature has seen to it that bonding and attachment hormones flow when we have sex. Why would it be otherwise? And why would we want to become bonded and attached to someone whom we barely know?
You don't have to be a social conservative to buy this argument. It's just practical reasoning. If you want to have satisfying relationships, look carefully at what happens when you date, and what results in happiness versus unhappiness for both parties. While it's not the case that sex early in dating always ruins things (as perhaps some conservatives might claim), it does appear to be the case that deferring sex until one really knows something about the other person has a positive impact on one's dating life.
Much has been written on this topic, for example this column by psychologist and sex therapist Aline P. Zoldbrod, Ph.D. If commentators keep sending the message that sex early in relationships on average does not work well, why do we keep doing things that way? Here are a few myths that keep folks jumping into the sack with strangers:
1. You can keep sex separate from attachment.
2. You need to sleep with someone to get to know them.
3. Holding off on sex will frustrate others so much they'll dump you and move on.
4. Holding off on sex makes you a prude.
5. Holding off on sex makes you a conservative.
6. It's too hard and not worth the feelings of tension and impatience to wait.
7. If you have sex with a lot of people you'll be "more of a Man/Woman"
8. Masturbation is sinful, shameful, or otherwise unacceptable as a means of satisfaction.
9. Holding off on sex makes you a tease.
10. Having sex with someone new will improve your self-esteem.
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