HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — Adam & Eve has shared the results of a new survey asking the question, “Could you forgive someone for cheating?”
In the poll, 21% of respondents said they could forgive their partner for cheating, a slight increase from a similar survey Adam & Eve conducted in 2012, in which 19% of respondents reported that they could forgive infidelity.
By contrast, nearly 40% of current respondents said they could not forgive their partner for being unfaithful, compared with 54% in 2012.
Finally, 39% of respondents said that their forgiveness would depend on the circumstances, a significant rise from the 27% who said the same thing 11 years ago.
“Cheating means different things to different people,” said Dr. Jenni Skyler, resident sexologist at Adam & Eve. “For most people it means sex, but for many, it could be a kiss or even sharing intimate information with others. I encourage people in a relationship to talk about what the definition of ‘cheating’ means to them so that there are no loopholes or misunderstandings.
“Forgiveness is a tricky emotion that often gets pushed aside by anger and hurt,” Skyler added. “If a couple can safely process the immensity of anger and hurt that likely plague both parties, then forgiveness is possible.”
The web-based survey of over 1,000 American adults age 18 and up, conducted by an independent company, was sponsored by Adam & Eve to study sexual preferences and practices.
For more information, visit AdamEve.com.
