- Promiscuity correlates with emotional distress and higher divorce rates, especially among women.
- Despite changing societal norms, Muslims still exhibit lower promiscuity and higher relationship satisfaction than other religious groups.
In today’s hypersexualised culture, promiscuity has become increasingly normalised, often celebrated as a form of liberation and personal freedom. However, beneath this societal shift lies a growing body of evidence that paints a starkly different picture, particularly for women. Studies reveal that casual relationships, once believed to be harmless explorations of modern identity, are contributing to profound emotional and psychological consequences. The impacts are not only felt individually but ripple through society, eroding the foundations of long-term commitment and the sanctity of marriage. The aftereffects of earlier promiscuity are emerging as significant catalysts for relationship instability, leading to higher divorce rates and a deeper crisis in sustaining lifelong partnerships.
In the longitudinal study Premarital Sex, Premarital Cohabitation, and the Risk of Subsequent Marital Dissolution among Women researchers examined 10,847 American females aged 15 to 45. The study revealed a significant finding: women who had engaged in more than one intimate premarital relationship faced a heightened risk of divorce later in life. Furthermore, the study The Relationship Between Multiple Sex Partners and Anxiety, Depression, and Substance Dependence Disorders: A Cohort Study analysed a sample of 1,037 participants, predominantly Caucasian. It was concluded that having multiple partners resulted in more women turning to substance abuse.
However, promiscuity effects both genders as seen in a study involving a diverse, multi-ethnic sample of single, heterosexual college students, ages 18 to 25, from 30 institutions across the U.S. The study revealed a significant correlation between lower well-being scores and higher psychological distress, in relation to those who had engaged in increased casual sex.
Additional Societal Impacts of Promiscuity Infidelity
Promiscuity within a family can impact children, who often learn through imitating their parents. Additionally, children possess an inherent sense of right and wrong, and may experience confusion, frustration, and anger when they observe behaviours that conflict with their understanding of acceptable conduct. In addition, Researchers Explored Pornography’s Effect On Long-Term Relationships. They concluded that married men and women who watch pornography are more likely to get divorced than men and women who do not.
Studies find Non-Muslims Remain Significantly More Promiscuous Than Muslims
A survey of 1,000 British mothers revealed that 7.8% admitted to lying about the biological fathers of their children. This implies that there could be up to 2.1 million couples in the UK where the father is not the biological parent. Additionally, nearly one in ten mothers in the UK are uncertain about the identity of their child’s biological father. Furthermore, a 2016 Superdrug survey examined 2000 participants’ views on sexual behaviour. The participants hailed from Europe and America. When asked about the number of sexual partners they had had in their lifetime, women reported an average of seven, while men reported 6.4. Additionally, participants were questioned about the threshold at which a person is considered excessively promiscuous. Women indicated that a person would be deemed too promiscuous after approximately 15.2 partners, whereas men set the threshold at 14 partners. However, a more recent analysis in 2022, conducted by The Sun polled 2,000 participants. Among individuals aged 23 to 37, females reported an average of 10.8 sexual partners, while males reported an average of 13.4 partners.
In contrast, a survey conducted by City University of New York across 31 countries found that countries with predominantly Muslim populations reported lower rates of infidelity. The study concluded that Muslims are less likely to engage in premarital sex compared to individuals of other religions. Additionally, married Muslims were found to be less likely to commit extramarital affairs compared to their Jewish or Christian counterparts, despite extramarital sex being prohibited in all Abrahamic faiths.
Interestingly, a longitudinal study conducted at the University of Lincoln examined 14,562 mothers of infants born in 2000 or 2001, with follow-up surveys at ages 3, 5, 7, and 11. The findings revealed that Muslim women were more likely to favour marriage compared to other religious groups, with 94% of Muslim mothers being married, compared to 79% of Christian mothers and 59% of non-religious mothers. Additionally, Muslim women were found to be the most likely religious group to be in long-term, happy relationships. The report also addressed and refuted the notion that Muslim women remain with their husbands due to repression, noting that 31% more Muslim mothers reported higher relationship satisfaction compared to their non-Muslim counterparts.
Reflections
The data presented within this article distinctly demonstrates how Muslim women are much happier in their relationships in comparison to their non-Muslim counterparts and how Muslims still remain less-promiscuous. However, despite cross religious examinations, today the family unit is under siege, even among Muslims. Muslim families have their own issues that stem from secular liberalism being the new world order. Secular ideologies as well as cultural practises have evidently infiltrated our community. The claim here is not that Muslim families are perfect. However, the only recipe for relationship success are the guidelines stipulated by Allah swt. We must therefore desperately safeguard and preserve the family unit by adhering to the words of our Creator and understanding our individual gender roles assigned by Allah azza wa Jal.
