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International Handbook on the Demography of Sexuality pp 131–165Cite as

Sex in Committed Relationships

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Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Population ((IHOP,volume 5))

Abstract

Sexual behavior is an integral and consequential aspect of intimate relationships. In this chapter, we concentrate on understanding the impact of sexual practices on important components of couple formation, maintenance, and devolution. We review sexuality and relationship literature spanning several decades and disciplines to demonstrate specifically what demographic and other factors influence the quality of sex within relationships, how sexuality influences the quality of couples’ relationships, and whether these patterns are constant within and across different kinds of committed couples. Because the definitions of “commitment” and “relationships” are constantly redefined by both researchers and the couples themselves, we also address the literature that examines intimacy within less “traditional” contexts such as dating and less widely understood semi-committed relationships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA

    Pepper Schwartz, Brian J. Serafini & Ross Cantor

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  1. Pepper Schwartz
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Correspondence to Brian J. Serafini .

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  1. Dept. Sociology, University of Houston, Philip Hoffman Hall 450, Houston, 77204, Texas, USA

    Amanda K. Baumle

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Schwartz, P., Serafini, B.J., Cantor, R. (2013). Sex in Committed Relationships. In: Baumle, A. (eds) International Handbook on the Demography of Sexuality. International Handbooks of Population, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5512-3_8

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