Fewer sexual partners leads to greater likelihood of fidelity later, study suggests

A new US study has found a decreased incidence of marital infidelity among those with fewer sexual partners over their lifetime.

Among the participants, 16% of married adults had committed sexual infidelity at least once in their current marriage. However, for people who reported four or fewer lifetime sexual partners, the rate of infidelity in the current marriage dropped to 11%, while for those who had five or more sexual partners the number was nearly double (21%).

In addition, starting with their first sexual experience, 49% of those with fewer partners said their first time was with someone that they loved, compared with 37% of those with more sex partners. Similarly, 42% of those with fewer partners reported that their first time was in the context of an extended relationship. The number is just 30% for those who have had more partners.