Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by many cultures is the one-night stand , and its frequency is used by researchers as a marker for promiscuity. What sexual behavior is considered promiscuous varies between cultures, as does the prevalence of promiscuity. Different standards are often applied to different genders and civil statutes.
Feminists have traditionally argued a significant double standard exists between how men and women are judged for promiscuity. Historically, stereotypes of the promiscuous woman have tended to be pejorative, such as "the slut " or "the harlot", while male stereotypes have been more varied, some expressing approval, such as "the stud" or "the player", while others imply societal deviance, such as "the womanizer" or "the philanderer". A scientific study published in found that promiscuous men and women are both prone to derogatory judgment.
Promiscuity is common in many animal species. Many species form stable pair bonds , but still mate with other individuals outside the pair. In biology , incidents of promiscuity in species that form pair bonds are usually called extra-pair copulations. Accurately assessing people's sexual behavior is difficult, since strong social and personal motivations occur, depending on social sanctions and taboos , for either minimizing or exaggerating reported sexual activity.
American experiments in and found the great majority of men were willing to have sex with women they did not know, of average attractiveness, who propositioned them. No woman, by contrast, agreed to such propositions from men of average attractiveness.
While men were in general comfortable with the requests, regardless of their willingness, women responded with shock and disgust. The number of sexual partners people have had in their lifetimes varies widely within a population. We see a higher number of people who are more comfortable with their sexuality in the modern world. A 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.
