What Do Russians Think About Sex Out of Wedlock?

Premarital Sex is viewed by various cultures in different ways. While residents of Western countries usually consider sex an integral part of a romantic relationship, people in traditional societies have stricter sexual morals and seek to prohibit any physical contact between unmarried partners.

A recent survey in Russia revealed that many Russian residents still follow a rather traditional path when it comes to sex. More than one quarter of those surveyed (26%) consider premarital sex inappropriate for young women. Some 21% of Russians think the same for young men.

Only one in four respondents (26%) would tolerate an out-of-wedlock sexual relationship of a young man with his future wife. Just one third (32%) would accept that kind of relationship between a young woman and her future husband.

52% of respondents believe that the main reason for the increase of out-of-wedlock sexual contacts is the decline of morality. One in three respondents (34%) argues that the ‘negative’ tendency is the result of Western influence and the imitation of the Western lifestyle.

Despite the fact that a number of Russians who recognize the right of young women and men to have sex with any partner has grown in comparison to the late 1980s (27% compared to 11% for men and 20% compared to 6% for women), Russia still seems to stay quite traditional in terms of sexual morality. Some Russians condemn early start of sexual life and support conservative understanding of sex as part of family life.

(Writing by Anastasia Fistashka; Editing by Afanasiy Pervomaisky)