What happened to wedding night sex?

Changing social norms may be killing newlyweds' libidos

Honeymooners
(Image credit: (Courtesy Shutterstock))

It turns out that when most brides and grooms hit the sheets, they're really just hitting the hay.

The hallowed romantic notion of passionate first-night sex between newlyweds is becoming a myth. A new survey of brides and grooms reveals that 52 percent do not have sex the first night of their lawfully wedded lives.

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Emily Shire is chief researcher for The Week magazine. She has written about pop culture, religion, and women and gender issues at publications including Slate, The Forward, and Jewcy.