When you ask a woman how many sexual partners she’s had, don’t expect an honest answer.
But if recent studies of women overseas are consistent with Australian statistics, women are having a lot of casual sex. Just how much? Twice as much as our parents, apparently.
The team behind Dr Ed surveyed 500 Americans and 500 Europeans to gauge their thoughts on short-term sexual encounters.
While 66 per cent of respondents admitted to having had a one night stand in the past, only 14 per cent of them were planned. On average, women in Europe and America have had, on average, five bouts of one-off sex.
The study also found that 35 per cent of men reported feeling “very satisfied” after having a one night stand compared to only 17 per cent of women.
“People are definitely doing it, and most people are reasonably satisfied with it; however, one night stands are still stigmatised,” researchers said.
“We found women were most harshly judged than men, and yet men still didn’t get off so easy.”
Although sleeping around may still carry a fair bit of judgment, they may actually benefit your health: research from Cornell University found those who indulge in the occasional night of no-strings sex had much lower levels of depression and anxiety.