Premarital cohabitation is today a rapidly growing phenomenon in our society. Cohabitation is defined as two people living in the same household, unrelated and of the opposite sex (Kunz, 2012). Many studies report the disadvantages of cohabiting before marriage, but at the same time, many studies indicate little or no difference between cohabiting couples and couples who did not cohabit before marriage. There are very few different types of cohabitation before marriage. that Kunz (2012) lists in his book. A very common type is the “runway marriage,” an opportunity for couples to test their compatibility with a long-term view. This situation is more common among college students and graduates than among people with a high school diploma or less (Copen, 2013). Another type related to track marriage is the prelude to marital cohabitation. This type of premarital cohabitation gives rise to the expectation of marriage; the couple is only testing the relationship. Similar to the cohabitation phase of the marriage process, this type of couple tends to pursue other opportunities in their lives before getting married. It is also common for this type of couple to have children before marriage. Unlike the premarital cohabitations listed above, some couples cohabit without any intention of marrying. This type is called alternative to single cohabitation, rather than being single, these couples prefer to live together. Another cohabitation without intention to marry would be the alternative to marital cohabitation. These couples usually have children and families; they simply prefer not to marry. There are also those indistinguishable from marriage which are...... middle of paper ......ht. Cohabitation without the intention of marriage is risky and likely full of emotional ups and downs that are not good for a person's overall health. Although there has been a major shift in attitude toward premarital cohabitation, it is still a diverse issue with many aspects to consider. he. People either choose to focus on the positive aspects of testing a marriage before getting married or focus on the negative effects such as divorce and depression. Works Cited Copen, C., Daniels, K. and Mosher, W. (2013, April 4). National Health Statistics Report. www.cdc.gov. Retrieved November 18, 2013. Gordon, A. (August 19, 2012). The potential dangers of premarital cohabitation and how to avoid them. PsychologyToday.com. Retrieved November 18, 2013. Kunz, J. (2012). THINK Marriages and Families, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Retrieved November 18, 2013.