S/O: Has the number of sexual partners affected your attitude toward sex?

[smiles33]

This is a spin-off of the TMI thread in Healthy You. I placed it here because it's not discussing sexual acts specifically but questions whether a person's number of sexual partners has affected his/her attitude toward sex.

My theory is that those who have had more partners are more adventurous, as you've had the opportunity to try out different things with more than one person. Of course, there are certainly those who have only had 1 partner who may be very adventurous but I'm assuming that new partners (including presumably some with much more experience than you) will have introduced new practices/techniques/positions.

Poll coming so no need to post if you want to remain anonymous.

ETA: Define sexual partner however you wish. I might suggest one definition would include people with whom you have had any sexual contact beyond kissing, so it doesn't have to be intercourse to completion. Also, in terms of adventurous, I'm talking about beyond traditional/mainstream intercourse (e.g., missionary is obvious, but maybe girl on top and doggy style are now mainstream?).

Sorry if TMI. Maybe this should be moved to the Healthy You board now that my poll gets folks to think more specifically....

[egoldber]

Well, I have only had one partner. We have gotten much more adventurous as we have gotten older. We were pretty vanilla for a long time and then we had a pretty long patch while TTC, having losses, nursing, etc. where we had sex very infrequently.

Our kids are now a little older, sleeping well, no more pregnancies or nursing and I can honestly say we are having more and better sex then ever. I think that is true for a variety of reasons.

[smiles33]

That's awesome, Beth. We're pretty vanilla at my house, but we're also exhausted so maybe in a few years it will get more exciting.

[khalloc]

I guess I am adventurous, but I had no idea doggy-style and girl on top were considered adventurous! I've done way more than that but i thought those were pretty run of the mill and that everyone does those positions a fair amount.

[swissair81]

My lack of adventurousness might have more to do with my last 6 years being entirely consumed by pregnancy/nursing (and of course hormones).

[lizzywednesday]

I may feel stupid discussing some things, but I'd like to think I'd try anything at least once.

And, there are some things, having tried and disliked them immensely, I'm not going to do again. Ever.

One of the best things I ever did for my sexual health and well-being was to read the book The Good Girl's Guide to Bad Girl Sex by Barbara Keesling (LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Girls-Gui...9439620&sr=8-1) because it made me feel more comfortable about my body, sex, and sexual feeling.

I usually recommend it to good friends if they're in a funk.

[buddyleebaby]

It's a hard question to answer because "adventurous" is subjective.
We do not have sex with others outside our relationship. We do have sex outside.

I think DH and I have an awesome sex life. Whether someone else would think it was adventurous, I don't know. It works for us.

DH has been my only partner. He had had several by the time we started dating, but we were young, so there was certainly a lot of learning done together.

[BabyMine]

I have only had 1 partner, DH, but we are very, very, adventurous. I think it has to do with trust and trying out fantasies. Or the porn we watched. Or when alcohol was involved.

[kijip]

I would say that my attitude towards sex affected the number of partners.

I would consider myself adventurous with my husband but extremely prudish about sex in general- the idea of having multiple partners, having sex outside of commitment or while very young is unpleasant to me. That said, I don't really care what other people do/have done. These attitudes are primarily driven by my religious background but certainly were impacted by being assaulted as well. J is the first person I could become intimate with and it took more than 2 years.

[kijip]

I guess I am adventurous, but I had no idea doggy-style and girl on top were considered adventurous! I've done way more than that but i thought those were pretty run of the mill and that everyone does those positions a fair amount.

Yeah, that does not seem adventurous to me either. And we have established that I am a prude generally about sex.