Debate/Yahoo Answers Answer-Off.

I was having a discussion with E. until 2a.m. last night. The hot question was the number of partners one had. Surprisingly, we managed to reach agreement (perhaps it was due to the late hour and our mutual desire to get to bed). However, the question continued to bug me all morning and in absence of other ideas, I decided to ask the community. Also known as Yahoo Answers. I find it to be mildly entertaining and marginally educational.
I decided to stick with the basics and asked how many sexual partners is too many, how many had one had, and was it too many and why.
My favorite answers without any particular order (with my comments in parenthesis). Just some information for thought...
- There is no such concept... I would have to sit down and think hard about how many and it's too early for that so ... a lot. (1p.m. is not too early, even for me)
- One, about three months after I met him. We have been together four years and are engaged. I am very happy I waited. (awesome, congratulations, send me an address and I will send a wedding card)
- Forty five or fifty. And I am still looking for my next one! I don't know if it's too many, but there were some that I would just as soon not remember. (alcohol does wonders)
- You should only have one. (as my friend pointed out, go back to Utah, you Mormon)
- Do you mean at once? (hands down the best answer)
- Too many people to sleep with would be more than one could fit on one hand. (took me a while to figure out exactly how many that is, on the second thought 1p.m. is too early)
- I've only slept with my fiance, and that was almost three years after we got together, and we're getting married next year... He saved himself too, and I can tell you it's way worth it to wait, I love it. (can't say it's way worth it if you have nothing to compare it to)
- I think three or four is too many. You don't know what the other people might have had and given them. One or two is okay. (ever heard of condoms)
- To me, more than ten people is kind of pushing it. However, as long as it is safe sex with condoms and all that, then really I don't see anything wrong with it. If someone wasn't being safe, then it would be worse. I have slept with two people in my life. But I'm also only nineteen, and I really don't think that's too many. I've had opportunities to sleep with more people and chose against it. (no, two is just fine for a nineteen year old)
- I always believed that it was special to wait until you are married to have sex, but everybody has a different opinion. (at least she acknowledges that others can have an opinion)
- Two is to many because you're only to have sex with your married partner. And you are not suppose to get divorced, so one is enough. (Utah is calling, they're missing someone)
- Let's just say I've had several, more than five. I don't really regret anyone, except for three. I was young and naive, and I should have waited until I was older. I'm engaged now, and really wish I didn't have some of those guys on my list... (weren't we all young and naive once)
- I don't really think that there is too many to sleep with. It's a normal thing people do. If you're able to do so, go ahead. As long as you're not married or in a relationship, I say go for it. I myself (since you asked) have slept with about thirty different people and on different occasions, within the last four years. Right now I am in a relationship with a kid on the way. So I am stopping for at least a while, if not for good. Have to see where this road leads. Well hope this helped. (how about the total number, not just in the last four years)
- I don't think that a certain number is too many. I think I slept with around eighteen people. I don't think I slept with too many because I don't regret any of them. I enjoyed myself with everyone (even if I can't remember his name). When I was younger I thought that if a girl slept with a certain number of guys then something is wrong - she must be a slut. Then I realized that thinking was childish because it doesn't matter how many people other people have slept with. It doesn't affect me in any way, so I got off my high horse. (there are some good points here)
- I haven't slept with anyone, and too many is three. I was about to say two but you never know what your man can do. He might turn to a bad and abusive guy, so people deserve a second chance. (what if both of them are bad and abusive)
- Six, since I lost my virginity a year ago. Now I am in a committed relationship, so I was happily forced to slow down. (one every two months... cheers)
- I've been with one guy, and that's my husband. I'm glad it's just been him. (again, cheers)
- Most women have had about a dozen partners before they're married. So, for women, twenty is pushing the envelope. The same with men, except most men have about half a dozen sexual partners before marriage. (I thought men were the sluts on this universe)
- In my opinion, a lot of outside information is needed to determine how many is "too many". For instance, if I heard from an eighteen year old that he/she has slept with ten people, I might think that is pushing it. However, if a fifty year old lifetime bachelor has slept with ten people, it's not a big deal. I think it would also depend on the situations in which the person was having sexual relations. For example, a twenty five year old single male could have many previous sexual partners. Whereas a twenty five year old male, who has been married for five years, may have considerably less. As long as you aren't uncomfortable with the number of sexual partners you have had, no one else should matter. I have only slept with two people. I don't think that is too many. Of course, I am only eighteen. Some people may consider it too many, but that is their business. Good luck! (ten for a life long bachelor... yes, sure)
- I'm at about seventeen and I feel like that's way too many. I regret a lot of them, mostly because with half of them I only slept with once. I wasn't a slut at all, I just didn't make the right decision all the time. But you live and you learn, and I'm engaged now and don't need to worry about it again. However, I've got a few friends that are close to a hundred and that's just sick. (yes, an eighteen year old with a hundred partners is disturbing... but a life long bachelor...)
- Does it matter, if it's safe? Then again, depending on who wants to know. It's a very strong possibility that one can forget the numbers and lose track. So, after much analysis and according to a jury's verdict, there isn't a designated number and it is solely based on the individual. (again, good point here)