This article was co-authored by John Keegan and by wikiHow staff writer, Sophie Burkholder, BA. John Keegan is a Dating Coach and motivational speaker based in New York City. With over 10 years of professional experience, he runs The Awakened Lifestyle, where he uses his expertise in dating, attraction, and social dynamics to help people find love. He teaches and holds dating workshops internationally, from Los Angeles to London and from Rio de Janeiro to Prague. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Humans of New York, and Men's Health.
There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 17,764 times.
When you start dating someone new, it’s natural to be curious about each other’s romantic history—including body count, or the number of sexual partners a person has had in the past. While some people are quick to share this number, others aren’t so sure that it will lead to a healthy discussion, or they may feel that they’ll be judged for a high or low number. Whether you're trying to decide whether to broach this subject with a partner or worried that your partner’s body count says something bad about them, we’ve got you covered. We spoke with dating expert John Keegan about how to navigate this tricky topic and answer the essential question once and for all: Does body count really matter?
Does Body Count Impact Relationships?
Body count shouldn’t matter in relationships. The amount of people someone has slept with in the past has no impact on their current relationship or their worth as a person. However, some people may become jealous or insecure when learning of a partner’s high body count.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/why-does-it-matter-how-many-partners-shes-had/
- ↑ https://www.brownandtoland.com/blog/talking-to-your-new-partner-about-sexual-history-and-stis/
- ↑ https://www.regain.us/advice/general/my-girlfriend-slept-with-too-many-guys-in-the-past-what-should-i-do/
- ↑ https://www.hercampus.com/school/u-mass-amherst/5-reasons-why-your-body-count-doesn-t-matter-long-it-s-not-murder-0/
- ↑ https://www.choosingtherapy.com/purity-culture/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4244004/
- ↑ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1088868319891310
- ↑ https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/why-does-it-matter-how-many-partners-shes-had/
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/married-and-still-doing-it/202201/how-and-why-talk-about-our-sexual-past
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/married-and-still-doing-it/202201/how-and-why-talk-about-our-sexual-past
- ↑ https://www.regain.us/advice/general/my-girlfriend-slept-with-too-many-guys-in-the-past-what-should-i-do/
- ↑ https://www.hercampus.com/school/u-mass-amherst/5-reasons-why-your-body-count-doesn-t-matter-long-it-s-not-murder-0/
- ↑ https://www.hercampus.com/school/u-mass-amherst/5-reasons-why-your-body-count-doesn-t-matter-long-it-s-not-murder-0/
- ↑ https://www.hercampus.com/school/u-mass-amherst/5-reasons-why-your-body-count-doesn-t-matter-long-it-s-not-murder-0/