Jun 1

Jun 1 What Is Considered a High Body Count? 1,014 Men & Women Reveal How Many Sexual Partners They’ve Had

What Is a High Body Count? Real Numbers From 1,014 People

Body count… a term that’s become popular (and polarizing) refers to the number of sexual partners someone has had. But for a topic that gets debated endlessly online, there’s surprisingly little clarity: What is actually considered a high body count? And how many sexual partners do most people really have?

To find out, I surveyed 1,014 men and women, asking them to anonymously share their number of sexual partners (aka their body count). The answers revealed just how subjective this topic really is. What one person considers “high,” another sees as perfectly normal.

In this post, I’ll break down:

How many sexual partners most people actually have (based on my survey)
What is considered a high body count for men and women (based on my survey)

It’s worth noting:

My survey wasn’t a nationally representative sample; it was an anonymous, online poll of my audience, which tends to be a bit younger and more open about discussing sex. I also presented a much larger range (hoping people would approach with honesty/ not feeling judged).

For comparison, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), U.S. men aged 25–49 report an average of 6.1 lifetime sexual partners, while women in the same age group report an average of 4.2 partners.

How Many Sexual Partners Do Most People Have? (Survey of 1,014 People)

1,014 Men and Women Share How Many Sexual Partners They've Had — Based on 1,014 men and women who voted.
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42% of men have had 1-15 sexual partners.
55% of women have had 1-15 sexual partners.

35% of men have had 16-40 sexual partners.
34% of women have had 16-40 sexual partners.

16% of men have had 41-80 sexual partners.
9% of women have had 41-80 sexual partners.

7% of men have had 80+ sexual partners.
2+ of women have had 80+ sexual partners.

For those of you wondering how old these voters are: The majority of my engaged audience are male and females, ages 25-40.

How many sex partners is considered a lot or ‘too high’?

82% of men believe 40+ sexual partners for a woman is a lot/ too high.
67% of women believe 40+ sexual partners for a man is a lot/ too high.

The breakdown:
11% of men believe 5-10 sexual partners for a woman is a lot/ too high.
5% of women believe 5-10 sexual partners for a man is a lot/ too high.

42% of men believe 20+ sexual partners for a woman is a lot/ too high.
29% of women believe 20+ sexual partners for a man is a lot/ too high.

29% of men believe 40+ sexual partners for a woman is a lot/ too high.
33% of women believe 40+ sexual partners for a man is a lot/ too high.

18% of men believe 60+ sexual partners for a woman is a lot/ too high.
33% of women believe 60+ sexual partners for a man is a lot/ too high.

The truth is: there’s no universal number that qualifies as a high body count. It depends on: