Guess how many couples in North America would allow their partners to do the following things:
Occasionally go out and engage in sexual games (with passes, sex clubs).
Participate in partner exchanges (three-person encounters, wife swapping, group sex).
Reach emotional commitments with multiple partners (polyamory).
The strongest evidence suggests that approximately 4% of adults exhibit this phenomenon. This might sound insignificant, but it means that one in every 25 couples is involved. If you know 24 couples, one of them is likely to be a voluntarily non-monogamous couple (CNM), also known as an "open" relationship. In other words, 4% implies approximately 2.8 million American couples.
A recent study was an online survey involving 2,003 representative individuals from Canada. The results showed that the participation rate of non-marital children with informed consent was 4%. Other studies have also reached similar conclusions or provided higher estimates:
Researchers from Temple University conducted a survey of 2,270 American adults and found that 4% of them reported having the CNM phenomenon.
A study by Indiana University on 2,021 American adults showed that 10% of women and 18% of men indicated that they had at least one experience of a threesome.
Another group of researchers from Indiana University, based on a census sample of 8,718 single American adults, discovered that 21% (one fifth) of people reported having at least one experience of an informed-consent non-monogamous (CNM) relationship.
In a study in Canada, the age group most enthusiastic about informed-consent non-monogamous relationships was young people. Canadians in one- and two-person relationships and those in informed-consent non-monogamous relationships had the same level of satisfaction with their relationships. However, compared to partners in one- and two-person relationships, partners who were equally enthusiastic about informed-consent non-monogamous relationships had significantly higher satisfaction.
Canadian researchers concluded: "Although only a small proportion of people have open relationships, people's interest in this type of relationship is constantly increasing. 'Open' seems to be a feasible and important type of relationship."
Is it forbidden to commit adultery?
Our culture places great emphasis on monogamy. Even a minor betrayal can ruin a relationship. He cheated, and everything was over. However, infidelity is as old as civilization. Otherwise, the prohibition of adultery in the Ten Commandments would have been unnecessary.
Some couples do not restrain this "strolling" impulse. They embrace each other and give informed consent for non-monogamous relationships, ranging from a one-time trip to a wife-swapping club to a continuous polyamorous relationship.
Polygamy has a long history. Some scientists believe it may be rooted in our genes and confer an advantage for the survival of the species. For thousands of years before DNA testing was available, the father of a child could not be determined. Polygamy may have provided more resources for more men, helping women raise the offspring they were supposed to have.
Mental health? Or mental illness?
Many people believe that the CNM group, even if they are not mentally ill, at least have emotional problems. However, numerous studies have shown that those who have undergone wife swapping are like ordinary people - but there are some intriguing differences. Compared to those in monogamous relationships, those who have undergone wife swapping usually:
A happier marriage
Expressing more non-sexual emotions
Believing that their sex life is more satisfactory
Enjoying more marital communication
More praising of their main partner
Less expressing jealousy
Believing that the act of swapping spouses strengthens the marriage (27%) and believing that the act of swapping spouses leads to divorce (24%) has about the same likelihood.
The possibility of suffering from anxiety, depression and other mental health problems is not higher than that of the general population.
The consensus of the researchers is that non-monogamous individuals are a microcosm of the mainstream society in the United States, and their mental health.
Can men force women to practice non-monogamous relationships?
Some men may force women to change their sexual orientation, but often it is the women who are the ones in control. There are no conclusive studies yet, but the most comprehensive work on this topic, "Lifestyle: Observing the Sexuality Rituals of Swingers" (by Terry Gould), cites the views of many consenting non-monogamous women who assert that in swinging, it is usually the women who hold the dominant position. Moreover, women also hold a significant position in the management of many swinging clubs in the United States.