The association of an open relationship orientation with health and happiness in a sample of older US adults

Abstract

Sexual activity over the life course is strongly associated with better health and greater personal happiness, yet the sexuality of aging adults has been a neglected topic. There is a lack of research on those with a consensually non-exclusive sexual relationship style regardless of age. This research examines whether such an orientation has positive effects on sexual frequency, health and personal happiness, and how this might inform counselors and therapists providing services to older adults. The authors collected 502 responses via an online survey from individuals aged 55 and older residing in the United States who engage in consensually non-exclusive sexual relationships. Self-reported health and happiness, number of sexual partners, and sexual frequency were compared with 723 similar respondents from the nationallyrepresentative 2012 United States (US) General Social Survey. Key findings were: irrespective of formal relationship status, the non-exclusive sample reported significantly more sexual partners, more sexual frequency, better health, and were much more likely to have had an HIV test than the general US population; the nonexclusive sample also reported being significantly happier than the general population, with the exception of married men, who reported being as happy as the general population sample; and regression analyses suggest that the factors which predict better health and happiness differ between the general population and those who participate in consensually non-exclusive sexual relationships. In summary, this study examines sexuality among the healthy aging population. Participation (or interest in participation), in consensual non-exclusive sexual relationship styles can be rewarding and contribute to personal health and happiness, as much as or more than monogamous marriages.

Caught in a “Bad Romance”? Reconsidering the Negative Association Between Sociosexuality and Relationship Functioning

“…The finding that such negative association emerged only for these individuals may indicate that unrestricted sociosexuality appears to be more problematic for CM relationships, possibly because it is associated with a greater likelihood of EDS. For those in a CNM relationship, although this association was non-significant, it actually reversed to a positive association (for a significant positive association between sociosexuality and relationship quality with an older sample of participants, see Fleckenstein & Cox, 2015;Rodrigues, Lopes, & Pereira, 2016b). Because past research has shown that individuals in CNM relationship do not perceive EDS as indicative of infidelity (Cohen, 2015), and because our findings suggest that EDS does not impair relationship quality among these individuals, it is possible that EDS is not a violation of trust, honesty and openness that characterizes CNM relationships.…”

“We Agree and Now Everything Goes My Way”: Consensual Sexual Nonmonogamy, Extradyadic Sex, and Relationship Satisfaction

“…49 Therefore, being registered on Second Love and engaging in extradyadic sex is not perceived as a sign of relationship problems, or as a need for intimacy that is not being met within the primary relationship. Having such agreement with the partner, extradyadic sex can increase personal well-being and happiness 21 and increase relationship satisfaction.…”

“…However, previous research has also shown that individuals in SNMR do not perceive extradyadic sex within mutually consented boundaries as infidelity, 18 and that engaging in such behaviors can improve personal happiness. 21 As happiness is associated with relationship quality, 44 we expected a positive association between sociosexuality and relationship satisfaction for these individuals. Based on recent findings on infidelity, we predicted no gender differences in these associations.…”

“…18,19 Individuals in SNMR (vs. SMR) are more sociosexually unrestricted, report greater sexual frequency, greater relationship quality and greater personal happiness. [20][21][22] Whereas individuals in SMR perceive extradyadic sex as a transgressive behavior, 23,24 those in SNMR do not hold such perception. 18,25 Therefore, it is important to examine whether the association between sociosexuality and relationship satisfaction is moderated by sexual agreement.…”

How complex is your love? The case of romantic compromises and polyamory

“…More strongly, empirical research suggests that polyamorous relationships are better than monogamous ones in several respects. For example, Fleckenstein and Cox (), in their study of older people in non‐exclusive sexual relationships, found that irrespective of age or relationship type “the non‐exclusive sample generally outscored the relevant comparison group of the general population on sexual frequency, number of sexual partners, and self‐reported health and personal happiness” (p. 112). There was no evidence to suggest exclusive marriage supported these factors, even in later life when romantic profundity is most expected as a function of experience, proximity, and time spent together.…”