Sexual relationships and contraception. Evolution of their social significance
Julemont, G.
Population et Famille 53(53): 105-129
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0523-1159 PMID: 12339025 Document Number: 396980
This article surveys youth sexuality, the change in social values, and the importance of individuality. Emphasis is on economic dependence as a source of conflict between generations, the search for autonomy and the downplaying of marital anticipation. This evolution has created a dissociation between the starting of sexual intercourse and marriage. A comparison between married women and single females was made related to intensity and precocity of sexual relationships before marriage; married women started sexual relationships earlier and more intensively. With both groups sexual intensity is inversely proportional to age. The precocity of sexual relationships is less associated with marriage. Pregnancy is also less frequently a reason for getting married. The single woman tends to have more than 1 sex partner and is not marriage minded. Use of contraception permits freer sexual behavior with full cognizance of consequences. This explains the responsible attitude to reproduction shown before being engaged for marriage and the dissociation of the concepts sexuality, marriage and reproduction before being tidely bound. Married persons, it was found, are motivated to avoid siblings. It is no longer sufficient to desire a child, but one must really want him. Children are now a chosen and not a natural consequence of marriage.