Why sleeping around doesn’t affect your marriage chances

THOSE with a promiscuous past have traditionally had a reputation for being poor marriage material.

But it turns out that having multiple sexual partners does not affect your chances of getting hitched after all.

Researchers found that the effects of promiscuity on marriage rates was temporary and the number of sexual partners did not appear to have an impact.

A US team from the Universities of Utah and Oklahoma analysed data on nearly 9,000 people collected for 18 years up to 2015.

They discovered the recent number of sexual partners was linked to a reduction in the odds of marriage, but this effect only lasted a year.

Writing in the journal Social Science Research, they said: ‘We propose that the effect of multiple sex partners on the likelihood of marriage is seasonal, reflecting a period where the persons are enjoying sexual activity with less commitment.

‘Women with multiple sex partners are just as likely to get married as are virgins, if somewhat later.

‘A man or woman who is still engaging with multiple sex partners as a young adult does not compromise his or her marriage prospects down the road.’