Playing the field is fun for a guy, but cheating on a person in a monogamous relationship carries a bit more ethical baggage. Guys should be aware that such cheating may come with an unexpected side effect: an increased risk of penis injury. If fooling around on a partner impacts penis health, it may pay to look closely at the matter and see if something can be done to address this potential penis injury issue.
Sleeping around stats
Not every person in a relationship is always satisfied with their partner, and the concept of one partner cheating on another is deeply ingrained in our culture. Yet how many people in a monogamous relationship actually engage in sexual activity with someone other than their steady partner? The answer is, “It’s hard to say.”
Although scientifically designed surveys are the best way to obtain this kind of information, the study of extramarital sex presents challenges. (Most studies tend to look at sex outside of an existing marital relationship, rather than a non-married but still monogamous one.) While such surveys are anonymous, many people would still be hesitant to acknowledge they have engaged in sex outside their marriage. Because of this bias, exact figures are hard to determine.
At one point, noted sex researcher Shere Hite claimed that some 70% of women married more than five years had had an affair. But most experts agree that figure is most likely overblown. A 2006 paper by noted researchers estimated that 3% to 4% of married people currently had a partner outside their marriage and that 15% to 18% of married people have such a partner at some time in their married lives.
The penis injury connection
This article isn’t going to weigh in on the morals of cheating on a partner. The point is to bring attention to the potential connection between extramarital affairs and penis injury.
It’s important to know that this connection is based on one study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2011. And it’s small in scope, so the results are by no means definitive.
This study looked at 16 men who suffered the relatively rare event of a penile fracture, so severe that it required surgical repair. All patients were seen at the University of Maryland between 2007 and 2011. Of these 16 patients, eight sustained the penis injury while engaged in extramarital sex. Of the remaining eight, only three sustained injury in the bedroom; the other five were having sex in atypical locations (such as an elevator, public restroom, etc.).
The scientists theorize that stressful situations can contribute to an increased risk of penis injury. The stress that might come from sex in an atypical location is easy to see. But the psychological stress involved in extramarital sex is blamed for the higher percentage of injuries in that group.
In other words, men may feel a sufficient level of guilt or anxiety about cheating, such that it creates a situation in which penis injury is more likely to occur.
The take home message: if a guy is going to cheat, he needs to find a way to “de-stress” himself to make sure his penis health doesn’t suffer from fulfilling his desires.
Penis fracture is serious and requires a doctor’s care, but regular penis injury – such as soreness – whether from cheating or monogamous sex is easier to handle. Regular use of an excellent penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) can help. Look for a crème with Shea butter and vitamin A, two superior moisturizers that relieve taut skin soreness. A crème with vitamin C, which is a big aid in collagen production, can also help, keeping the skin supple and loose and increasing penile comfort.
