Who cheats more: Women or men?

Women are cheating more than ever, according to new research.

By Rebekah_Schilperoort Nov 27, 2012 4:05PM

By Madeline Haller, Women's Health

Sure, it may seem like infidelity is a guy thing. But according to research from the Archives of Sexual Behavior, women are just about as guilty of straying, and in fact, they're cheating more than ever.

Researchers had 918 men and women fill out an online questionnaire on whether or not they've cheated on their partners and why they did it. The results show that 19 percent of women admitted to straying outside their relationship -- that's up 5 percentage points from the National Science Foundation's General Social Survey in 2010.

Men aren't much better: 23 percent of them reported cheating, up 4 percent since 2010.

While men still outpace women, it's alarming to see these numbers on the rise for both sexes. According to Dr. Sheri Meyers, a marriage and family therapist and author of Chatting or Cheating: How to Detect Infidelity, Rebuild Love, and Affair-Proof Your Relationship, it's not just attractive men that lure us from our relationships, but rather, it's relationship discontent that leads us to stray. In fact, Meyers says the most common reasons for infidelity are feeling lonely and disconnected from your partner; lack of communication; love and attention deficit; boredom; a sexual disconnect; or lack of intimacy.

And it doesn't help that a new study published in the journal Hormones and Behavior found that certain points in our cycles make us even more likely to doubt the dude we're dating -- particularly if he's not over-the-top sexy.

In the study, women were significantly more likely to find fault with their partners and feel less close to them during the high-fertility period than the low-fertility period of their cycles.

So what should you do if (or perhaps, when) the grass looks greener on the other side? Put that temptation to rest with these ways to prevent cheating.

This content originally appeared as "Who cheats more: Women or men?" on Women's Health.

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343Comments

Newest

Feb 8, 2013 2:11AM

No comparison. Woman cheat far more. Historically, it was men. Since the 1980's, the cost of living has sky rocketed, and woman have joined the work force in droves. Many have all the similar opportunities that men have, and they are every bit as horny as men but typically conform more to the lady like image, and better conceal how horny they really are. In addition, those not in the work force, the lonely desperate house wives, have significant, ample opportunity as well, and typically hook up for emotional reasons as well as just one night stand sex.

Previous replies

Mary703

Nov 29, 2012 6:52PM

I've been married to my college classmate for 33 yrs and still in love like the first day. There is no rule on who cheats more. It'sthe principles and values that make somebody human.

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ddavid475

Nov 29, 2012 5:42AM

Married at age 28 and still married to the same gal 44 years later. Never cheated but I wish I had. I just love to spoil women and myself, but mine says NO to everything now days.
She just doesn't want anything anymore - she's gotten too conservatives and always worries that she won't have enough for her old age, even though she's millionaire. It's just nuts she saves for what ?.
Where can I find a women who loves being spoiled ? I wanna cheat; But not from one of those cheesy dating sites.

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duraheat

Nov 29, 2012 2:13AM

I have been married for 32yrs every time still feels like the first time.

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laurencepeggy edwards (Laurencebe1)

Nov 29, 2012 1:06AM

What GOD has yoked together let NO man put apart.

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The Admiral

Nov 29, 2012 12:19AM

Are there just a few of us who still think that honesty, integrity, maturity and unselfishness are virtues? Morality matters. And for the record, I am spiritually-minded but not particularly religious.

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Oldtexun

Nov 28, 2012 11:54PM

In my experience, its equal, which is pretty amazing since its easier for women, and the incidence of bi-sexuality is higher so they have a greater field to choose from. Men have to work a little harder, but many definitely get it done. My wife and I are old now, and monogamous. In our years together we've considered fidelity important, but a failure or two probably wouldn't have been grounds for divorce.