Image: rentcafe.comSo much for the three date rule!
Despite everything we've been told... apparently having sex on the first date is a great idea, according to experts.
Yep, an Israel-based team of psychologists now believe that sex on the first date can actually help you form a strong bond and kick-start your relationship, rather than weakening it.
They believe that having sex early can encourage a proper attachment, leading to a solid relationship.
"Sex may set the stage for deepening the emotional connection between strangers," said the study's lead author Gurit Birnbaum, a social psychologist and associate professor of psychology.
"This holds true for both men and women. Sex motivates human beings to connect, regardless of gender."
The study, which looked only at heterosexual relationships, found that both men and women are equally likely to want to "connect" when they're sexually aroused, but that men were more likely than women to initiate a relationship when they're feeling turned on.
And it's that sexual desire that has the potential to keep the couple together for long enough to form a meaningful relationship.
Professor Birnbaum says the conclusion the study reached is that our sexual urges are designed to help us reproduce, and that deeper relationship that develops helps the resulting babies to be protected by two parents, increasing its chances of survival.
"Throughout human history, parents' bonding greatly increased the children's survival chances," she said.
