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What's the average number of guys a girl has slept with?

Nectar Sleep surveyed Americans to discover how many sexual partners they had before settling down. The average number for people who identify as men was 26, the average number for people who identify as women was 19. But other studies have shown that people often lie about their number.

insider.com - Here's How Many People the Average Person Has Had Sex With - Insider

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But other studies have shown that people often lie about their number.

Comparing yourself to others is all too easy, especially when it comes to sex. While sharing your number may be uncomfortable, it's easy to wonder about other people's. There's an episode of "Friends" in which Monica's boyfriend Richard asks her how many people she's slept with. After telling her his number is two, she's embarrassed to share her higher number, clearly fearing judgment. This exchange leads Ross and Rachel to have a similar, equally awkward conversation, comparing their past. While stigmas around sex are slowly dissolving, for many, these conversations can still feel incredibly uncomfortable and will be avoided at all costs. At the end of the day, however, it's natural to be curious about how many people others have slept with. Nectar Sleep has released a study perfect for anyone wondering what their fellow Americans numbers are. Broken down by the gender binary, the survey asked participants who identify as men and women aged 30 and below how many sexual partners they had before "settling down." It wasn't clear the respondents' sexuality, or what they defined as "sex," and the only people surveyed appeared to be on the gender binary. For those who identify as men, the average number of sexual partners was 26. The average number of sexual partners for those who identify as women was a bit lower, coming in at 19. It's worth noting that these numbers are much higher than many previous studies, including one Superdrug, previously reported on by INSIDER, that put women at an average of seven and men at an average of six. Data is usually hard to pin down because people also admit they aren't truthful about their "number." Studies have shown that men often increase their "number" while women decrease theirs when asked, which can say a lot about our attitudes towards sex and gender. Also, "sexual partners" and "sex" can often mean different things to different people, especially depending on their sexuality. So although we can only go off of what people respond to in surveys like this, it's definitely worth noting that these numbers can often be inflated based on who you ask.

No matter what, you shouldn't stress about your number

After reading all that data did you immediately compare it to your number? I know I did. While it's all too easy to compare yourself to others in every aspect of life, it's incredibly important to note that there is no "normal" when it comes to the amount of sexual partners you "should" have and sharing your "number" is up to you. "If it's relevant to understanding what you both do and don't like sexually then that's important for physically communicating between the sheets, but if it's about tallying up who is more ‘sexually experienced' then this will achieve nothing for your relationship," dating expert Sarah Ryan told HuffPost UK. All that matters is that you are having safe and consensual sex that makes you happy.

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