It’s tough out there to find “the one”. Dating can be cruel, and after a few heartbreaks or just playing the field for what sometimes seems like forever, many of us start looking to settle down. We might meet the girl or guy of our dreams, but how do we know we’re really ready to commit to just one person?
Studies show that the number of sexual partners you have been with may make a big difference. It can be a tricky subject to bring up with your significant other, but it’s something more and more people are looking to find out.
Couples are often embarrassed to reveal the details of their sexual history to each other out of fear of one partner having had drastically fewer sexual relationships than the other (or drastically more). Surprisingly, both men and women consider the ideal “magic number” of past sexual partners to be the same: 12.
A new study conducted by Illicit Encounters, a dating website for married people, showed that 12 is the perfect number because it demonstrates that a partner is “sexually adventurous, liberal, and transient.”
Researchers found there was a sliding scale, with 19 past sexual partners being the cut off before a person was perceived to likely be “too selfish,” “difficult to please” or “too eager to jump from partner to partner.”
At the other end of the scale, those with fewer than ten past sexual partners were believed to be “too conservative” and “sexually inexperienced.”
While both men and women agreed on the ideal “magic number”, they disagreed on how important it is to reveal their number to each other. It turns out that men want to know their partner’s sexual history more than their female counterparts do.
According to the study, only 45% of women revealed they would want to know how many other people their partner has slept with, while 54% of men said the same. This may actually be because men are more self conscious than women.
Christian Grant, a spokesperson for Illicit Encounters, claims that the competitive nature of men makes them more self conscious and that they need to know they are the best.
“They want to be seen as the biggest and best; whether that stems from genuinely wanting to satisfy their partner or to massage their own ego is another matter entirely.”
Grant says that women don’t have the same competitive streak and simply aren’t as interested in their partner’s sexual history. They aren’t as self conscious about their number because the past is in the past.
“Women on the other hand, they’re just happy to enjoy the moment, past experiences aside.”
So how do you measure up? Are you close to the “magic number” or is your personal number way off the mark? Regardless of how many past sexual relationships a person has had, all that should matter under the covers is whether or not both partners are satisfied now.
Besides, you can ask the question but how do you know you’re partner’s telling you the truth? I’m betting a lot of people out there are just going to say 12 if asked. Sure gives new a meaning to the phrase “can I get your number?” doesn’t it?
But when is the ideal time to reveal your “magic number”?
Should you just get it over with on the first date? Or perhaps you should wait until you’re “official”. Nevertheless, here’s a couple enjoying a “spontaneous” date in Central Park:
Studies show that the number of sexual partners you have been with may make a big difference. It can be a tricky subject to bring up with your significant other, but it’s something more and more people are looking to find out.
Couples are often embarrassed to reveal the details of their sexual history to each other out of fear of one partner having had drastically fewer sexual relationships than the other (or drastically more). Surprisingly, both men and women consider the ideal “magic number” of past sexual partners to be the same: 12.
A new study conducted by Illicit Encounters, a dating website for married people, showed that 12 is the perfect number because it demonstrates that a partner is “sexually adventurous, liberal, and transient.”
Researchers found there was a sliding scale, with 19 past sexual partners being the cut off before a person was perceived to likely be “too selfish,” “difficult to please” or “too eager to jump from partner to partner.”
At the other end of the scale, those with fewer than ten past sexual partners were believed to be “too conservative” and “sexually inexperienced.”
While both men and women agreed on the ideal “magic number”, they disagreed on how important it is to reveal their number to each other. It turns out that men want to know their partner’s sexual history more than their female counterparts do.
According to the study, only 45% of women revealed they would want to know how many other people their partner has slept with, while 54% of men said the same. This may actually be because men are more self conscious than women.
Christian Grant, a spokesperson for Illicit Encounters, claims that the competitive nature of men makes them more self conscious and that they need to know they are the best.
“They want to be seen as the biggest and best; whether that stems from genuinely wanting to satisfy their partner or to massage their own ego is another matter entirely.”
Grant says that women don’t have the same competitive streak and simply aren’t as interested in their partner’s sexual history. They aren’t as self conscious about their number because the past is in the past.
“Women on the other hand, they’re just happy to enjoy the moment, past experiences aside.”
So how do you measure up? Are you close to the “magic number” or is your personal number way off the mark? Regardless of how many past sexual relationships a person has had, all that should matter under the covers is whether or not both partners are satisfied now.
Besides, you can ask the question but how do you know you’re partner’s telling you the truth? I’m betting a lot of people out there are just going to say 12 if asked. Sure gives new a meaning to the phrase “can I get your number?” doesn’t it?
But when is the ideal time to reveal your “magic number”?
Should you just get it over with on the first date? Or perhaps you should wait until you’re “official”. Nevertheless, here’s a couple enjoying a “spontaneous” date in Central Park:
hehe
