U.S. women loosening up sexually, study shows

(HealthDay)—American women are becoming more frisky in the bedroom, new research reveals.

In a study of sexual trends in the United States, researchers at the University of Utah found that promiscuity is rising for women and declining for men. The number of women who've had sex with more than 15 partners has increased over the past few decades, from 3 percent to 7 percent.

The opposite is true of men, who are having sex with fewer partners than they did in previous years, the researchers said.

The study was led by Nicholas Wolfinger, a professor in the university's department of family and consumer studies. He and his team analyzed national data on more than 30,000 people compiled between 1989 and 2016.

Other trends on promiscuity emerged. Younger Americans are having sex with fewer people than older generations, the study showed.

Those men and women who reported being more promiscuous were more likely to be well-educated, older, politically progressive, from urban areas, single and divorced. These people also reported being less happy, which Wolfinger believes is due to marital status.

"The happiness story changes when promiscuous Americans get married," he said in a university news release.

"These respondents are not more or less happy than their nonpromiscuous peers. Some may have relegated their infidelities to their first marriages. A small number may be in polyamorous or other forms of open relationships, although it's impossible to know with these data," Wolfinger said.

Promiscuity was also more common among people living in the Intermountain states, including Nevada and Utah, as well as parts of Arizona and Colorado, the researchers said.

The findings were published recently by the Institute for Family Studies.

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