Promiscuity: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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The number of sexual partners people have had in their lifetimes varies widely within a population. A 2007 nationwide survey in the United States found the median number of female sexual partners reported by men was seven and the median number of male partners reported by women was four. The men possibly exaggerated their reported number of partners, women reported a number lower than the actual number, or a minority of women had a sufficiently larger number than most other women to create a mean significantly higher than the median, or all of the above (see [[Pareto principle]]). About 29% of men and 9% of women reported to have had more than 15 sexual partners in their lifetimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19374216/|title=Average man sleeps with 7 women - Health - Sexual health - NBC News|work=msnbc.com}}</ref> Studies of the spread of [[sexually transmitted disease]]s consistently demonstrate a small percentage of the studied population has more partners than the average man or woman, and a smaller number of people have fewer than the statistical average. An important question in the [[epidemiology]] of sexually transmitted infections is whether or not these groups copulate mostly at random (with sexual partners from throughout a population) or within their social groups ([[assortative mixing]]).

A 2006 comprehensive global study (analyzing data from 59 countries worldwide) found no association between regional sexual behavior tendencies, such as number of sexual partners, and sexual-health status. Much more predictive of sexual-health status are socioeconomic factors like poverty and mobility.<ref name="Westerners 'are more promiscuous'">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6101970.stm Westerners 'are more promiscuous'] BBC</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Wellings K, Collumbien M, Slaymaker E, et al. |title=Sexual behaviour in context: a global perspective |journal=Lancet |volume=368 |issue=9548 |pages=1706–28 |year=2006 |pmid=17098090 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69479-8}}</ref> ThisStudies contradictshave othershown studiesthat promiscuity has negative consequences on health.<ref name="bbc">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3610487.stm Promiscuity fuels spread of HIV/AIDS] BBC</ref><ref>[http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/102221472.html Relation between sexual promiscuity, drugs abuse and HIV infection in Buenos Aires, Argentina.] study available at National Library of Medicine</ref> In 2004, "[[HIV]] infection rates had fallen from 15% to 5% in [[Uganda]] over the past decade. The experts said a nationwide campaign encouraging people to stick with regular partners contributed to the fall."<ref name="bbc"/><ref>http://medicineweb.com/2007/09/25/prostate-cancer-linked-to-promiscuity/</ref>

Severe and impulsive promiscuity, along with a compulsive urge to engage in illicit sex with attached individuals is a common symptom of [[borderline personality disorder]], but most promiscuous individuals do not have this disorder.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hull |first=J. W. |last2=Clarkin |first2=J. F. |last3=Yeomans |first3=F. |year=1993 |title=Borderline personality disorder and impulsive sexual behavior |journal=Psychiatric Services |volume=44 |issue=10 |pages=1000–1001 |doi=10.1176/ps.44.10.1000}}</ref>