I stumbled upon an article the other day which was talking about the number of sexual partners people have had over the course of their lifetime, and what it says about them.
The article is actually quite interesting and at the same time a bit alarming. As a swinger, reading that the general population thinks that the ideal number of past sexual partners for both men and women is 7, concerns me. 7?! Seriously?! I may or may not have had sex with 7 different people in one night! Ok, I have. Don’t judge me! (Lol, nobody in the lifestyle will.)
My immediate reaction to the notion that a new man in my life would want to hear that I have only slept with 7 men prior to him, was feeling a bit nauseous. I slept with 7 guys before I turned 20. What does this mean? I was (and still am) a total slut? Probably, but lucky for me, my husband appreciates the fact that I love sex as much as he does.
I don’t think anyone would be surprised to learn that both men and women tended to change their true numbers slightly (at their own admission). Men tended to say they have had sex with more women than they actually have, while women tended to say they have had sex with less partners than they have. It is a surprise to me that people are still so antiquated in their thinking. Men want to be with women who love sex, but they don’t want to be with women who have been too sexually active or who are too experienced.
Perhaps because I have been married for a long time I have lost touch with single stigmas, but come on people! People in their 50s, 60s and 70s are part of the baby boomer population. They believe in sex, drugs and rock and roll, don’t they? This generation was having sex, and a lot of it, back in the 60s and 70s. You mean to tell me they were part of this survey? I think not.
I also would have imagined that we were no longer holding women to a different standard than men. We still think men are studs when they have many conquests while women remain sluts for doing the same. We pat men on the back for their accomplishments in bed while we shake our heads in disdain at the women with whom they are doing this. Every time I think we’ve come a long way (baby) I discover that perhaps we really have not. Even the terms we use to describe sexually adventurous women versus men have remained unchanged. One degrades the woman, while the other praises the man. According to Wikipedia, the term slut is as follows:
Slut is generally a term for a woman or girl who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous.[1][2] It is usually used as an insult, sexual slur or offensive term of disparagement (slut shaming).[2][3] It originally meant "a dirty, slovenly woman",[2] and is rarely used to refer to men, generally requiring clarification by use of the terms male slut or man whore.
Today, the term slut has a pervasive presence in popular culture and pornography, but is almost exclusively used to describe women. An exact male equivalent of the term does not exist. The lack of a comparably popular term for men highlights the double standard in societal expectations (gender roles) between males and females, as negative terms for sexually promiscuous males are rare.[5][14]
This is one of the reasons why swinging and the lifestyle are such wonderful outlets. Nobody is judging anyone within the lifestyle. If you love sex, good for you! Curious to try something new? This is the place! Judge free zone! Everyone is free to explore their fantasies. In all of the years that I have been in the lifestyle, I have never heard anyone put a woman down for sleeping with too many men. This includes the women who like gang bangs and trains. Most people just shrug their shoulders and say whatever she’s into to; glad she’s having fun.
For swingers, the standards set by the general population do not apply. Men in the lifestyle are not really interested in women who do not like sex. People are in the lifestyle for this purpose! Sexually open and adventurous women are the norm. Men seem drawn to the women who exude sex as they are certain that it will prove to be an enjoyable experience. As far as asking about or caring about how many sexual partners someone has had? I’ve never heard anyone discuss this within the confines of the lifestyle. Truth is, most people would probably laugh and say, “I have no idea, I lost count!”
It fascinates me that men who are not in the lifestyle prefer women who have slept with (at most) 7 partners. They feel that more than that signifies a promiscuous woman. What the survey did not discuss was a woman’s age. What if she’s 50 and has never been married? I hope these men are open to the thought that their partner likes to masturbate. Or, open to the notion that his partner does not like sex. Either way, how do you put a number on something like this? More importantly who are they to judge?
Women also think the magic number of previous partners for men is 7. For a man who is 25, I can see how this number is probably fair game. If the man is 40, I’m not so sure.
Honestly, the number 7 made me laugh out loud when I heard it. Most swingers who spend every weekend in a lifestyle venue would agree that they have sex with at least 7 people each year, if not way more than that.
Does this make all the women in the lifestyle a bunch of sluts? Probably to those who are not in the lifestyle. What about the men? I imagine they would simply call the men in the lifestyle “lucky”. For those who are in the lifestyle, I sincerely doubt they care. They are usually both very happy in their relationship with their significant other and with their decision to swing.
I suppose if any of us find ourselves single and being asked our “number,” we have two choices: lie or look for another swinger!
Looking for other swingers? Wearing our jewelry is the easiest way for others to spot you! www.PartnersID.com