Monogamy more popular with young gay men: study

Monogamy more popular with young gay men: study

Younger gay men are more likely to be into monogamy, new research suggests.

The US study interviewed single gay men and gay couples—both monogamous and non-monogamous—aged between 18 and 40, on their relationships and attitudes about monogamy.

The researchers found that young people are more interested in monogamy than their elders, with 90 per cent of single guys saying they were seeking a monogamous relationship.

Some of the people interviewed for the study offered opinions on why younger gay men are more interested in monogamy and marriage.

“Older gay men may not be as serious about monogamy since they had to lead secret lives and are trying to play catch up,” said one.

“You do that for a while and then it becomes the norm. With more acceptance there’s more freedom to be normal.”

A “small but significant” number of couples described themselves as monogamous but said they sometimes had sex with others; the researchers described these couples as “monogamish”, a term usually attributed to gay columnist Dan Savage.

“Do spontaneous threesomes with your partner mean you’re not monogamous?” asked one participant.

“I think there are so many more levels of monogamy that it can’t be separated into two categories,” said another.

“There are a lot of agreements that can happen between couples that they consider monogamous that could fall in a grey area.”

The study found that marriage is becoming the norm for long-term gay relationships, with 92 per cent of single men saying they intended to marry.

Among the couples in the study, 15 per cent were married, 26 per cent were in de facto relationships, and another 36 per cent planned to marry.

Monogamous and non-monogamous couples were equally likely to be married, and the researchers concluded that monogamous and non-monogamous couples can have “enduring, healthy and happy relationships”.

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