Unfortunately, some love stories don’t have a fairy-tale ending and with 22% of men and 15% of women cheating at least once while they’re Married*, infidelity is something you should know about.
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Some people classify ‘cheating’ as kissing or sexting, whereas the majority consider sex (including oral) as crossing the line, but regardless of your personal belief, here are seven things you should know about infidelity before you say your vows.
1. Cheating Could be in Your Genes
A study published by the journal of Evolution and Human Behavior has shown a significant link between your genes and whether you’re likely to cheat. Women with a certain mutation of vasopressin (a hormone) are more likely to be infidels. Vasopressin controls trust and empathy and the mutation affects this, making you more prone to risky sexual behaviours.
2. Science Says You Can Still Be in Love
A study by Rutgers University found that 56% of men and 34% of women who had cheated claimed to be happy in their Marriage – and most of them said that they were still in love with their partner, despite having an affair!
3. It Doesn’t Always Results in the ‘D’ Word
If you’ve been cheated on and want to end your Marriage, then you should; but believe it or not, ‘infidelity’ is not the main reason that couples get divorced. According to a 2011 survey, infidelity can second on the list of reasons for breaking up with a spouse. #1 was ‘falling out of love’ and further on the list were ‘unreasonable behaviour’, ‘abuse’ and… ‘midlife crisis’!
4. The Deeper the Voice the Deeper the Cheat-Factor
Women assume that men with a deeper voice are more likely to be infidels! A study in 2013 (published in Behavioral Ecology) asked women to listen to men’s voices and then determine which of the guys would be more inclined to cheat, as well as which voices they were most attracted to for a short and long-term relationship. Although women were attracted to the deep voices, they put them in the ‘short-term’ relationship category because they thought that they weren’t going to be monogamous.
5. The Ball Theory
This one’s a little wacky, but a study of primate by the University of Oslo found that the larger the male’s testicles, the more likely their female partner was to cheat on them.
6. There’s a Serious Health Risk
Here’s another reason why you shouldn’t cheat on your partner! A 2012 study (in the Journal of Sexual Medicine) found that men who cheated on their wives were more likely to suffer ‘sudden coital death’ – aka a lethal heart attack! There are suggestions this could be from a ‘guilty conscience’ or the ‘stress from being secretive about the affair’.
7. It Can Break More Than a Marriage
If #6 didn’t convince of how unhealthy an affair can be, this definitely will! A 2012 study (once again in the Journal of Sexual Medicine) found that it can increase the risk of penile fractures – aka breaking his penis! The research found that there were 16 cases of penile fractures during a set timeframe and of that, more than half of the cases happened while the husband was getting down and dirty with a mistress.
Facts and figures originally published in MedicalDaily.com
