You May Be Dating A Cheater And Not Even Know It, Science Says

Is there anything more horrifying than being cheated on by the person you love and trust the most in the world? As far as I'm concerned, no.

According to a new study, however, that doesn't make it any less likely.

The study analyzed looked into the relationships of married and cohabitating couples and their cheating habits.

Alright, now let me share their results and also shatter any and all trust you may have in your partner:

A quarter of young adults are in relationships where cheating has happened.

First and foremost, researchers found a quarter of the young adults they studied reported either they, their partner or both partners had sex with someone else.

The study authors, Michelle Frisco, associate professor of sociology and demography, and Derek Kreager, professor of criminology, sociology and demography (both at Penn State University), found that men were more likely to report that they had cheated than women.

And, the women were more likely to report their SOs had cheated on them.

So, there's that.

Being married doesn't make you any less likely to cheat.

Next, they found people were equally likely to cheat and be cheated on in married and cohabitating relationships.

"This suggests that young people today have similar expectations for sexual fidelity regardless of their gender or whether they are in formal, legally binding relationships," Kreager explains.

In other words, wearing a ring doesn't make you feel any more bound to your SO than signing a lease. You or bae may still give in to the urge to get with someone else.

Your cheating boyfriend is probably not going to leave you, as long as you never find out.

Finally, the researchers looked into how cheating affected the couple's chances of breaking up.

Basically, if you're the one cheating and you're not getting caught, you'll most likely stay with your partner. But if you're the one being cheated on and you find out, you're probably gonna dump your SO's cheating ass.

Frisco explains:

Our results suggest that if young adults can get away with cheating, they are not likely to leave their partner. If they discover infidelity in their partner, however, they exercise far less tolerance. People seem to prefer to play the cheater over the cheated on.

Also, cheaters want to have their cake and eat it, too. As long as your sorry ass isn't finding out about their side sex, they'll keep you and side piece around.

Tip for cheaters: Odds are your partner will leave you if they find out... so maybe just don't cheat.

Citations: Can people who cheat have their cake and eat it too? (Science Daily)