Study Examines Rates Of Multiple Partners Among People In Non-Romantic Sexual Relationships

Seventeen percent of men and 5% of women in non-romantic sexual relationships report that they had multiple sexual partners during that relationship, which could promote the spread of sexually transmitted infections, according to a recent study in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, HealthDay/USA Today reports.

For the study, Anthony Paik -- a sociologist at the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences -- and colleagues asked 783 heterosexual adults ages 18 through 60 how many people they were sexually involved with during their most recent non-romantic sexual relationship.

According to the study, 17% of women and 8% of men said that they had been monogamous during the relationship but that their partner had not. Twelve percent of women and 10% of men said that neither member of the relationship was monogamous.

Researchers also found that respondents who reported getting along with a partner's parents were more likely to be monogamous. Paik said this finding suggests that people are less likely to risk behavior that could damage a relationship when they consider the impact on their partner's family. The study also found that being in a sexual relationship with a friend increased the likelihood of having other sexual partners by 44% for women and 25% for men, while involvement with an acquaintance or stranger raised the likelihood by 30% for women and 43% for men (Preidt, HealthDay/USA Today, 4/8).


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