Infidelity on the Rise

According an article in the NYTimes, adultery is on the rise among older men and young couples. One possible explanation, better sexual health among older folks:

Among older people, a host of newer drugs and treatments are making it easier to be sexual, and in some cases unfaithful — Viagra and other remedies for erectile dysfunction, estrogen and testosterone supplements to maintain women’s sex drive and vaginal health, even advances like better hip replacements. (source)

More troubling for me is the shift in relatively young marriages. "About 20 percent of men and 15 percent of women under 35 say they have ever been unfaithful, up from about 15 and 12 percent respectively." One possible cause, the Internet?

In younger couples, the increasing availability of pornography on the Internet, which has been shown to affect sexual attitudes and perceptions of “normal” behavior, may be playing a role in rising infidelity. (source)

Interesting, but totally speculative from a scientific point of view.

The news isn't all the bad. The article ends of the following optomistic note:

The General Social Survey data also show some encouraging trends, said John P. Robinson, professor of sociology and director of the Americans’ Use of Time project at the University of Maryland. One notable shift is that couples appear to be spending slightly more time together. And married men and women also appear to have the most active sex lives, reporting sex with their spouse 58 times a year, a little more than once a week. (source)

An aside: The Talmud (Jewish commentaries on the Law) includes a fascinating discussion among Rabbis about about sex (within marriage, naturally). It is the man's obligation to provide physical affection, not his right to demand it. Indeed, sex is one of the three basic rights guaranteed to women in Jewish law (the others being food and clothing). He cannot legally withhold sex, even if the couple has already produced children. However, she cannot withhold it as a form of punishment, either.

The frequency of sex recommended by the Talmud depends on the husband's profession (and may be modified by the marriage contract). Sailors, for example, were supposed to have sex rarely. But laborers were supposed to make love more often. Scholarly types, including Rabbis, were supposed to do it about once a week. So there you go! If you're interested in Jewish views about sex, check out the book Kosher Sex.

-t