Monogamy on the Rise

Whether gay or straight, couples are trending toward monogamy in the 21st century, at least according to one new published study.

Data on gay and heterosexual couples from 1975 and from 2000 -- the most recent year such data with identical survey questions was available to researchers -- show the percentage of partnered gay men who reported sexual activity beyond the relationship dropped from 83% to 59%, while lesbians reported a decrease from 28% to 8%. Married heterosexual men and women showed a similar trend away from extra-relational sexual behavior.

"Our findings reveal a marked movement toward monogamy over time," study authors wrote in the September issue of the journal Family Process.

Glenn Roisman, a psychologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, told USA Today, "Some might expect monogamy is not something that typifies same-sex couples, but clearly the trend is in the opposite direction." (Read the story here.)