RESEARCH CENTRE: The ideal number of sexual partners is …
A couple share a close moment. The important thing is the preparation required. A lot of people hurry into penetrative sex instead of relaxing and enjoying the pleasures of foreplay. If you are unable to relax, alert your partner. It does no harm to delay penetration until full relaxation is achieved. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- Explaining these findings which have been published in the Journal of Sex Research the researchers reckon that the more past sexual partners someone has had, the more they are seen as likely to cheat thus the preference for a low number of past lovers.
- Both men and women would rather be with someone they deem inexperienced than someone they see as promiscuous.
While it is not exactly a first date question, the number of past sexual partners is bound to come up in a relationship. Findings of a new study reveal what men and women think this number should be.
For the study, researchers from the United Kingdom interviewed 188 people aged between 18 and 35. They asked them how they felt about their partner’s sexual history. Most of the study subjects admitted to being cautious about dating a virgin. Women, especially, are put off by sexual inexperience.
While the average man or woman doesn’t want to date a virgin, they also do not want someone they see as too experienced. The magic number when it comes to number of previous lovers was found to be 3 on average. The higher the number of one’s previous sexual partners after this, the less attractive they seemed to the opposite sex. Women were attracted to men whose previous sexual partners came to less than six, while men felt put off when a woman had more than 11 sexual partners.
When it came to marriage and long-term relationships, the number went much lower. Most of the study subjects revealed that they wanted a prospective long-term partner who had had only one or two sexual partners in their lifetime. However, even those who took part in the study did not meet their own standards, meaning that while these numbers are ideal, the reality is quite different.
The findings also contradicted the belief that while women are expected to maintain sexual purity, promiscuity among men is tolerated. Even for men, sexual history could make or break a relationship.
Explaining these findings which have been published in the Journal of Sex Research the researchers reckon that the more past sexual partners someone has had, the more they are seen as likely to cheat thus the preference for a low number of past lovers. Both men and women would rather be with someone they deem inexperienced than someone they see as promiscuous.
