In the current Indian society, modernization and independent thinking form the emerging trend. Young men and women are beginning to take decisions into their own hands about what line to chose, career path to follow and partners they marry. With the need to become financially stable as well as to build stable careers and finding the right partner, the age for marriage is being stretched further each passing year. The Government also is raising the marriageable age in order to contain the population growth. The question is: what are the various implications of such a decision?
The age at which to marry must be made with careful consideration of biological, psychological as well as social factors. A steroid hormone, DHEA (Dehydroepiandro-sterone) produced in the adrenal glands and in the brain, is known as the mother of all sex hormones. DHEA increases and improves sex lives of women.
What is interesting to note, is that the peak impact of this hormone is between 20 and 30 years and is found to decline with age. It can be inferred that irrespective of the choices one makes about career, marriage etc. our bodies have a sexual path which is more or less fixed. Therefore decisions about delaying marriage need to be made with considerable thought.
It may be argued that late marriages may be beneficial to the youngsters today. They have the luxury to focus completely on their educational and career avenues. Unlike early marriages, a higher percentage of women complete their education making them equal companions and decision makers in the relationship. However we should not overlook the flip side of this. Persons, who have peaked in their financial lives in younger age will find it difficult to devote their later years on developing their love and sex lives. The bus once missed will affect all schedules.
Couples who marry past their sexual peak may have difficulties with their sex lives. A marriage void of sex can create intimacy and bonding issues. If these issues are not addressed, loneliness, insecurity and anger can build leading to infidelity, separation, divorce and so on. Late marriages have a higher risk of infertility, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages, and genetic abnormalities. Even when child bearing is not a biological problem, adjusting to late parenthood can be hard if issues like family bonding and generation gaps surface.
The number of consequences circling marriageable age is ever growing and personal.
Perhaps after such consideration, life satisfaction may follow, when one becomes ready to take responsibility for the choices they have made in their lives.
The writer is a sexologist. Mail him at dr.narayana@deccanmail.com
