Comparing the Self-Reported Health, Happiness, and Marital Happiness of a Multinational Sample of Consensually Non-Monogamous Adults with Those of the U.S. General Population: Additional Comparisons by Gender, Number of Sexual Partners, Frequency of Sex, and Marital Status

Cox, Derrell W.; Fleckenstein, James R.; Sims-Cox, Lori R.

doi:10.1007/s10508-021-01973-2

Special Section: Consensual Non-Monogamy
Published: 08 June 2021

Comparing the Self-Reported Health, Happiness, and Marital Happiness of a Multinational Sample of Consensually Non-Monogamous Adults with Those of the U.S. General Population: Additional Comparisons by Gender, Number of Sexual Partners, Frequency of Sex, and Marital Status

Derrell W. Cox II ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8066-7643¹,
James R. Fleckenstein² &
Lori R. Sims-Cox¹

Archives of Sexual Behavior volume 50, pages 1287–1309 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the associations of self-reported health, happiness, marital happiness, frequency of sexual activity, and number of partners from a multinational survey of individuals who are consensually non-monogamous (CNM) or open to being CNM, completed in 2012 with 4062 respondents. We compared data from this survey with the 2010–2014 US General Social Surveys (GSS). This study explored these variables and their predictors by gender (including 612 non-binary-gendered CNM individuals), marital status, number of partners, sexual frequency, age, education, and income and were broken down by behavioral sexual orientation, marital status, and other relevant categories. Respondents in our CNM sample generally reported being as healthy (sometimes healthier; e.g., all respondents M–W Z = 7.66, p < .001, η² = 0.007), happy (frequently happier; e.g., multiple-partnered Z = 15.43, p < .001, η² = 0.069), happy in their marriages (in some cases happier; e.g., multiple-partnered females Z = 2.61, p = .009, η² = 0.067), and reported having more frequent sexual activity (e.g., all Z = 29.54, p < .001, η² = 0.094) with more partners (e.g., all Z = 60.75, p < .001, η² = 0.393) compared to corresponding individuals within the GSS. This study contributes to knowledge about commonalities and differences between the general population and those who are CNM regarding health, happiness, and happiness in marriage, including differences in optimal number of sexual partners and sexual frequency.

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Notes

For example, in another CNM data set from 2000, actual partner numbers were provided for up to 99 partners in the past year. Those who had 99 or more partners in the past year were coded as 99. The average (mean) of the range for 11–20 partners in that data set was 14.75. The mean of the range for 21–100, excluding 99 was 27.89.

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Derrell W. Cox II & Lori R. Sims-Cox
Independent Researcher, Manassas, VA, USA
James R. Fleckenstein

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Cox, D.W., Fleckenstein, J.R. & Sims-Cox, L.R. Comparing the Self-Reported Health, Happiness, and Marital Happiness of a Multinational Sample of Consensually Non-Monogamous Adults with Those of the U.S. General Population: Additional Comparisons by Gender, Number of Sexual Partners, Frequency of Sex, and Marital Status. Arch Sex Behav 50, 1287–1309 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-01973-2

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Received: 01 November 2019
Revised: 15 February 2021
Accepted: 25 February 2021
Published: 08 June 2021
Issue Date: May 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-01973-2

Keywords

Consensual non-monogamy
Health
Happiness
Marital happiness
Sexual frequency
Sexual partners