The outcomes of a couple partnership: the importance of sexuality in the transition from dating to cohabitation, marriage or disruption.

This paper examines new union dynamics in Italy, focusing on non-residential partnerships and studying the various transitions of a couple partnership among more recent cohorts. Data from a national survey conducted in 2006 provide a unique opportunity to examine the dynamics of relationship outcomes considering both an individual and a couple perspective and to verify the relevance of sexuality. In particular, an event history approach was used to study the disruption of a intimate couple relationship or its transition to a cohabitation or a marriage. Results of piecewise constant exponential models for competing risks showed that besides attitudinal factors (associated with socio-demographic background), also some aspects connected with sexuality may be important in affecting the decision whether to marry or cohabit or to end a relationship. In particular, both sexual attitudes of individual and sexual characteristics of the relationship have some effects in the outcome of a couple partnership.