If you’ve ever wondered what the optimal “golden number” is for notches on your bedpost, a new study has the answer. Published in the Journal of Sex Research, the study asked participants to rank a potential sexual partner’s attractiveness based on how many sexual partners they had in the past. And according to the survey of 188 heterosexual participants on Facebook, the number’s a lot lower than you may think.
For one-night stands, the optimal number was between 2 to 6, with women slightly more forgiving towards men’s previous flings. But when it came to long-term relationships, both sexes were reluctant to get involved with someone with more than around 2 to 3 previous sexual partners. As one researcher of the study noted, “contrary to the idea that male promiscuity is tolerated but female promiscuity is not, both sexes expressed equal reluctance to get involved with someone with an overly extensive sexual history.” While we’re all about equality of the sexes, we have this to say to both men and women: lighten up; it’s only a number.
Want to add another notch to your bedpost? We say the more the merrier!
Check out more about the study that reveals the ideal number of previous sexual partners: https://www.iflscience.com/
