How Many Sexual Partners Is An Acceptable Amount? The Answer Differs From Men To Women

This may come as a shock to some, but there is a huge double standard between men and women when it comes to sex. I was reminded of this when I saw the results of a study about sexual partners. According to a recent study, there is a "sweet spot" for the ideal number of sexual partners.

For men, the sweet spot is  4 to 5 lifetime sex partners, with 2 or 3 being casual and the age of their first sexual encounter between 18 and 20. And for women, the sweet spot is 2 to 3 total sex partners, with 1 or 2 casual ones and an age of the first encounter between 16 and 18.

While the disparity isn't that much, the question is why is there always a double standard when it comes to men and women and sex? Men are typically allowed to sleep with more partners and it considered to be socially acceptable whereas women will more likely be called "sluts" or "whores" if they sleep with the same amount.

Cornell psychology researchers did a study about men, women and sex and found that women are seen less favorably when applying for jobs when it's found they post sexy pictures of themselves on their social media. This is when it comes to applying for anything from scholarships to jobs. “Some might argue that posting a provocative photo of oneself on social media reflects poor judgment" according to Vivian Zayas ’94, professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. “But our findings suggest that that inference of bad judgment penalizes women much more than men" again another double standard.

What double standard have you encountered when it comes to sex? We'd love to hear your stories. You can email us getupcrew@hot969boston.com.