Ex appeal: study reveals sex with exes is common for young adults
New research announced this week has analyzed the tumultuous love lives of late teens and young 20-somethings, finding breakups, reconciliations, and sex with exes a common ingredient.
Researchers at Bowling Green State University in the US found that nearly 45 percent of the respondents said they'd broken up with their boyfriend or girlfriend and then gotten back together again. And 53 percent of those who'd gotten back together also reported having had sex with this ex.
Overall, more than one-quarter of the respondents reported having had sex with an ex, with men and women responding yes in similar proportions.
The study relied on data from nearly 800 respondents who were 17 to 24 years old from more than 60 different schools.
"This study shows that there is a lot of fluidity in emerging adults' romantic relationships," says postdoctoral fellow Sarah Halpern-Meekin. "They are fairly likely to go through periods of being undefined or in flux. We are still learning what this may mean for young people's well-being and future romantic experiences."
Prior studies have shown that condom use is high at the beginning of relationships but tends to drop over time, reports LiveScience. While sex with an ex may be casual, exes may be less likely to use a condom than they would with a less familiar partner, LiveScience adds.
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