Studies indicate that roughly 1 in 6 people want to try polyamory, while 1 in 9 have been in a polyamorous arrangement of some sort. [2] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Roughly 1 in 3 people who have been in a polyamorous relationship before would not want to be in one again, so it’s clearly not for everybody. [3] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
As a result, it doesn’t seem like there’s a huge difference between poly and monogamous relationships when it comes to how satisfying they are. [5] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
If one of your partners is having a rough day and really wants to be left alone, you can just go to another partner. In other words, you’re likely to always have someone there for you!
With that said, having more sex isn’t all that polyamorous relationships are about. Polyamorous people are capable of loving more than one person, not just sleeping with them. [8] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source
Polyamorous folks tend to experience a nice sense of community in their relationships as a result. [10] X Research source
People in poly relationships may end up with less “alone time” as a result, especially if they live with all of their partners.
This isn’t to say it’s bad to experience jealousy. A little bit of jealousy is totally natural in a relationship. Polyamorous people just need to be really, really good at managing those feelings in a productive way.
It can be hard to explain your relationship to friends or family members, and you may be discriminated against or bullied for being polyamorous. [15] X Research source
Many polyamorous arrangements involve one “primary” couple and a “secondary” partner. Primary relationships last 8 years on average, while secondary relationships make it around 5 years.
It’s not like you can’t go back to monogamy if you find polyamory to be too difficult to manage for you.
Polyamorous folks also tend to be extremely trusting and honest, with a low level of jealousy.
The biggest determining factor in whether polyamory is right for you is whether you think it’s right for you or not. All different kinds of people find themselves in polyamorous relationships, so you should only rule it out if you’re not interested in it.
