Open Marriage Incidence - Estimated Incidence

Estimated Incidence

The percentage of men and women actively involved in open marriages may be determined from data reported by Blumstein and Schwartz. Out of 3,498 married men, 903 had an agreement with their spouses allowing extramarital sex; out of these 903 married men with an agreement allowing extramarital sex, 24 percent (or 217 men) actually engaged in extramarital sex during the previous year. This means about 6 percent (i.e., 217 / 3498) of married men were actively involved in open marriages during the previous year. The number is only slightly less for married women. Out of 3,520 married women, 801 had an agreement with their spouses allowing extramarital sex; out of these 801 married women with an agreement allowing extramarital sex, 22 percent (or 176 women) actually engaged in extramarital sex during the previous year. This means about 5 percent (i.e., 176 / 3520) of married women were actively involved in open marriages during the previous year.

The estimates based on the Blumstein and Schwartz study are slightly higher than estimates provided by other researchers. Hunt, based on interviews from a national study of sexual behavior, has estimated that 2-4 percent of the married population is involved in open marriages. Bartell has estimated that 2 percent of the married population is involved in open marriages. The lowest estimate comes from a study conducted by Spanier and Cole of several hundred people living in the midwestern United States. This study found just 1.7 percent of married people involved in open marriages.

It appears that somewhere between 1.7 and 6 percent of married people are involved in open marriages at any given time.

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