Should a Woman Ever Say "I Love You" Before a Man Does?

Women have long been advised to avoid saying "I love you" until the man says it first. And a new study finds that they usually don't have to wait very long. Pennsylvania State University researchers have discovered that young men are three times more likely to say those three little words first, usually in a matter of weeks, The Daily Mail reports.

But before you decide that men are actually sappier than women, consider this: the researchers believe that men may simply be trying to get their love interest in the sack. "Any strategy serving as the means to a sexual end would be beneficial to men, including declarations of love," they say.

In the study of 171 heterosexual students under 25, 87 percent said they believed women fell in love first, while three-quarters said they expected women to say "I love you" first. (News to us: We always thought the guy was expected to say it first.)

But when it came to sharing their personal experiences, men said it took them only a few weeks to realize they had fallen in love, compared with a few months for women, the Mail reports. About 64 percent of men had said "I love you" first; only 18 percent of women had done the same. "This shows that women tend to be more cautious about love and the expression thereof than is commonly believed," the researchers say.

But here's the kicker -- men commonly decided they wanted to have sex within a few weeks (really? that long?), while women usually needed a few months. According to the study authors, "It can be argued that men’s falling in love and exclaiming this love first may be explained as a byproduct of men equating love with sexual desire." In other words, "I love you" may really mean "I want you." when it comes from a man.

What do you men think of this?

Do you think women should say "I love you" before a man does?