The cumulative proportion that dissolved their relationship after two years was 33% among couples of different sexes and 40% among same-sex couples (results not shown). The average breakup time was 12.4 months for couples of different sexes and 10.4 months for same-sex couples who cohabit. Like heterosexuals, many lesbian, gay and bisexual people want to form stable and lasting relationships, and many of them do. In fact, researchers have discovered that most lesbian and gay adults are in committed relationships and that many couples have been together for 10 or more years.
Scientists have discovered that the psychological and social aspects of committed relationships between same-sex couples largely resemble those of heterosexual couples. Like heterosexual couples, same-sex couples form deep emotional bonds and commitments. Both same-sex and heterosexual couples face similar problems related to intimacy, love, loyalty and stability, and go through similar processes to address those issues. Empirical research also shows that lesbian and gay couples have levels of relationship satisfaction similar to or higher than those of heterosexual couples.
Research suggests that the average age of a modern homosexual relationship is 11.4 years, while the average time a gay man maintains a new relationship is 71.4 months, around 6 years.
