Open relationships are on the rise worldwide as people begin to explore non-monogamous relationship options as a way to stave off divorce, and boredom. Non-monogamous style relationships include basic agreements that each partner can see others.
In Australia, open relationship statuses are surprising many who didn’t realize how popular non-monogamy is becoming.
The latest survey, which made the headline news on the New York Post, shows that the number of Australians partaking in an open relationship is rising.
A new survey that polled 50,000 Australian couples found that 1.4 percent admitted to an open relationship status.
The results aren’t surprising to many who live in Australia and understand that many couples face relationship challenges which open relationship styles can help fix.
The couple interviewed by the Post said they have agreements in place and make sure to have “check-ins” to see how the other feels. As we’ve expressed time and time again, communication and transparency are the key tenants to an open relationship’s success or failure.
What’s more interesting is that the survey found 3 percent of these couples were having sex with someone outside of the marriage and without their partner’s knowledge. Keep in mind, these are the people admitting to an affair, which we can assume is a lowball. This further validates the concept of an open relationship where transparency is prioritized over deceit.
The survey also found that twice as many millennials were in open relationships when compared to Gen Z, which suggest that youth isn’t the determiner of alternative lifestyle explorations.
As open relationships continue to grow, more people will need to embark on journeys that include much more robust relationship communications. This may serve to reduce instances of extra-marital affairs. At the very least, conversations regarding open relationships help foster an environment of transparency for both partners.