8. The number of sex partners

The changes in numbers of sex partners were, indeed, up to expectations. In 1971 Finns had an average of seven sex partners during their lifetime, against ten in 1992. Double morals had allowed men more sex partners than women. Finnish men still have a significantly greater number of sex partners than do women. According to the 1971 study, men had on the average 11 sex partners, women three. Corresponding figures for 1992 were 14 and six, respectively.

In 1992, 13% of men and 29% of women had one sex partner during their entire life. A maximum of two partners had sufficed for 22% and 43%, respectively. In 1971, 31% of men and 4% of women had had at least 10 partners, correspondingly 46% and 18% in 1992. Although women have a growing number of partners, the relative gap between men and women remains nearly the same.

Many respondents have rounded off the number of partners to certain decades, which is an indication of the relative inaccuracy of these figures. Especially reports on tens and hundreds of sexual partners seem somewhat unreliable, at least in this respect. In the 1992 material one woman reported 350 partners and one man 700. Changes in the numbers of partners, are examined by using as the indicator the proportion of those who reported ten or more partners.

As people get older, they encounter a growing number of opportunities to enter into sexual relationships. If the sexual habits of people would remain unchanged, the oldest people would have had the greatest number of partners. According to this study, the situation is different in Finland. Men and women of approximately 30 years of age had had the greatest number of partners. This seems to suggest a significant change in sex habits during later years.

When comparing answers from 1971 and 1992, it was noted that per age cohort the percentage having had 10 or more partners had grown by 20% points (men) and 10-15% points (women). If people would continue getting new partners at the same rate, 60% of present middle-aged men would have had at least ten partners in 20 years (by 2012). The corresponding figure for women would be 30%.

The number of sex partners in the oldest age group was the smallest of all, although they could have had the greatest number, based on their age and the time that they have had to engage in sexual relations. These people lived their entire youth at a time when the norm of monogamy was going strong. It was not considered suitable to have too many premarital sex relations, and fidelity was a must during marriage. As divorces also were abhorred, it is natural that the number of sex partners did not grow too large.

In practice the correlation between falling in love and establishing a sexual relation is strong. Every other woman has had at most as many partners as the times she fell in love: 30% of women had had exactly that number of partners, and 20% had had fewer partners than love affairs. Often even true love has not led to a sexual relationship. Half of all women had, though, established a sexual relationship with a man they did not love.

In the case of men, the correlation between falling in love and sex partners is not as strong, but still significant: 30% of men had had at most as many partners as loves - 18% an equal amount and 12% fewer. Other men (70%) had had more partners than loves. Most men have thus had a sexual relationship with a person that they did not love.

The impact of love for the formation of sexual relationships is also seen in the finding that people who fall in love more frequently than others also have a larger number of sex partners. Persons who have fallen in love several times had had at least ten sex partners at least twice as often as other groups. On the other hand, half of the women who had experienced only one great love in their life had had only one sex partner. These women have realized the ideal of monogamy at its purest. These constitute 15% of all women.

In 1971 the numbers of partners of men under 35 expressed the spirit of the debate on sexual politics of the 1960s: in these age groups the number of partners had grown large early. This tendency was strongest among men under 25: the number of partners they had, corresponds to the number of partners of present-day 25-year-olds. There has not been any change in the sexual morals of men since then. In women the change has been more gradual.

The strict sexual morals of the 1950s are shown by the fact that men in the age group 35-44 at the time of the first study in 1971 (the age cohort born in 1927-1936) had settled for few partners: only every fifth had had at least ten partners, while the percentages in the nearby younger and older groups were approximately 30%. These men who lived their youth in the 1950s did find sex partners later, and now more than one third of this age cohort has had ten partners or more. The young men born during the war years and the older ones born 1917-1926 had amassed a nearly equal number of partners by 1971.

Studying the number of partners using the MC analysis revealed that divorced, unmarried and widowed men had had more sex partners than married men. People who do not live in the tightest of relationships do have opportunities for getting new sex partners. People with scant education, the irreligious and frequent drinkers of alcohol had had many partners. Multiple sexual relationships may be associated with the present secularized way of life. Restraint even in sexual matters is not considered important.

How strong is the deviation from monogamy in the various social groups? In the case of men, differences were not very great per social group as to the proportion of persons with at least ten sex partners, with the exception of farmers. These had had at least ten partners only half as often as other men. Retired persons also had had significantly fewer partners than other groups. Employment does not seem to make any difference.

In the case of women we compared the proportion of those with six partners or more per social group. Differences emerge more clearly if the line is drawn at six instead of ten. Also here the differences per social group are small. Farmers and retired women have had the least number of partners, while female upper white- collar employees and students have had the greatest number of partners. As these groups are steadily increasing, women will apparently have more sexual partners in the future.

The number of sex partners during the last year shows Finns to be monogamous to a much greater extent than could be inferred from the previous question on lifetime partners. Most men (69%) and women (73%) had had just one partner during the last year. Two or more partners were had by 24% of men and 13% of women. Young people had had several partners more frequently than other groups. They are living through a period in life without permanent relationships. It is to be noted that approximately equal numbers of the youngest men and women had several partners. This is not the case among the middle-aged. In this group men report several partners much more often than women do. On the basis of the answers of the young people the sexes are getting to be equal.

Only a few per cent to one tenth of women aged 40 and up in the different age groups and 20% of men aged 50 and up had had more than one partner during the last year. Those who rate their permanent relationship as very happy are the least inclined to acquire several partners, although even every tenth of these had another partner. Even a good relationship cannot always prevent other relationships.

Including the respondents who did not answer the question because they did not have intercourse during the last year, 7% of men and 14% of women had had no sex partner during the last year. Approximately half of women over 60 did not have any partner at all at that time.

The numbers of sex partners of Finns correlate quite well with the corresponding information from the United States. However, it seems that Finns, on an average, have more partners during their entire life. According to a study of the entire adult population (N = 6000) in the United States, some 20% of men and 10% of women have had more than one sex partner during the last year. Every other man and every fifth woman had had at least five sex partners during their entire lifetime (Michael et al. 1992). In another study covering the age groups 18-44, 25% of men and 13% of women had had two or more partners during the last year (Forrest and Singh 1990).

Differences in the number of partners, which could be an ascribed social position, are usually associated with differences in life style. People who drink and smoke more than others have had a large number of sex partners. People who often drink until they are drunk have had several partners during the last year more frequently than others. Women who often drink until intoxication had as many sex partners as corresponding men. The differences in numbers of sex partners are therefore partly explained by the fact that men more often choose a life style involving much alcohol and numerous sex partners.

Smokers have had several sex partners more frequently than have those who stopped or non smokers. Of smokers, 56% of men and 31% of women had had at least ten partners during lifetime. Corresponding figures for nonsmokers were 31% and 7%. Smokers had had several partners during the last year more frequently than other groups.

The numbers of sex partners reported by men and women in all age categories do not fit together: men have had a much greater number of partners than women. This seems impossible, as each sexual intercourse involves a man and a woman (not counting homosexual relationships). The explanation could be, that men have a greater number of homosexual relationships or have gotten prostitute partners. A third possibility is, that men have many contacts with foreign women, and that this fact elevates the number of partners.

According to analyses none of these three explanations explains the difference in the number of sexual partners during the lifetime. When we subtract those under 56, both men and women, that at some time have had a homosexual partner, at least one prostitute partner and at least one foreign partner, men still have had at least ten sex partners much more often than women (age groups over 55 are omitted because of small numbers).

This leaves only two possible explanations for the discrepancy in number of partners. According to the first one, men exaggerate the number of partners they have had, while women suppress them. Another possibility is, that a very small number of women have a lot of sex partners, and that these women largely have been left outside this study. These 'public' women, with whom a large number of men had had intercourse were common both in rural and urban communities, at least in earlier times. Apparently both these explanations contribute to the conflicting numbers of partners reported by men and women.

People, both men and women, who have had sexual relations with foreigners and, at least once, homosexual relations, have had especially large numbers of partners. Men who had had intercourse with at least one prostitute have had the greatest number of sex partners. One third of the women who have been offered money for intercourse had had ten or more partners. This is significantly more than other women had. Offers for payment thus tend to concentrate to women who have had many partners.

Application of regression analysis showed that the total lifetime number of sexual partners in both surveyed years was related to age, living outside marriage/cohabitation, living in a large town, falling in love many times, early timing of the sexual debut, frequent sexual intercourse, present masturbation, the use of alcohol before the last sexual intercourse and regarding religion as only slightly important. A large number of sex partners is thus associated with aging, independence, a lively and versatile sex life and a secular lifestyle.