Just over a tenth of respondents in a national survey admitted to have cheated on their partner at some point in their life, but a sex and relationship therapist says clinical practice and international research indicate the figure could, in fact, be up to 27 per cent, almost a third of the population.

The figures emerge from a survey that was conducted by Sagalytics and Sex Clinic Malta and shed light on a broad range of people’s sexual behaviours.  The study compares the results to international studies while aiming to reduce stigma on sexuality.

Respondents aged 18 and over were asked whether they ever had sexual contact with another person when they were in a relationship with someone else. And 11.6 per cent said they did.

“We believe this is a conservative figure, likely because many respondents did not wish to divulge sensitive information to the researcher,” sex and relationship therapist Matthew Bartolo told Times of Malta. “From clinical practice and similar international studies, we have good reason to believe the percentage of people who have had another relationship aside from their primary relationship at some point in their life is between 17 and 27 per cent.”

Lead researcher Vincent Marmarà said that nonetheless, while the majority said they never actually cheated, three out of 10 men admitted they sometimes wish to have an affair with a person who is not their partner.

“People have a lot of sexual fantasies, and when they’re with friends they will likely say they want to sleep around with many people. But when confronted by the researcher with the real possibility, many of them will think deep on whether they would actually want to go ahead with it,” Bartolo said. “And clinical practice shows that even though many have the fantasy, they would not actually pursue it in real life.”

People have a lot of sexual fantasies. But when confronted with the real possibility, many will think deep on whether they would actually want to go ahead with it- Sex and relationship therapist Matthew Bartolo

A similar phenomenon occurred when respondents were asked whether they ever had sexual intercourse with more than one person at a time. Only six per cent of respondents said they did.

“Having a threesome is one of Malta’s most popular sexual fantasies. But the truth is: most people never act out their sexual fantasies in real life,” Bartolo explained.

Study reflective of population’s habits

This is the first time in Malta that such a broad range of figures has been collected on people’s sexual lives, and Marmarà and Bartolo said their aim was to reduce the stigma on sex by showing people there are many others who feel the same emotions they do, even if they do not speak about it. The figures collected by Maltese researchers tally with other European studies.

The study was conducted last summer among a representative sample of 400 participants aged 18 and over, and the results were analysed based on age, gender and districts.

Marmarà said researchers had to make 15,000 calls before they could complete a sample that was representative of the population – seven times as many telephone calls usually needed to complete an election survey.

27 minutes, six times a month

The study concluded that Maltese people have sexual intercourse six times a month on average, for a duration of 27 minutes. The figures also tally with those in similar European studies.

The younger the age, the more sex they have, and despite popular belief that being single opens up more opportunities for sex, the study found that people in a relationship have twice as much sex as those who are single.

The survey also revealed somewhat of a pattern among the most educated and the highest earners. They are among the people who have the most sexual intercourse – around eight times a month – but they are also among those who wish to have sex even more frequently.

They are also among those who are more tempted to have sex with someone other than their partner.

“Successful people are often, by nature, hunters. They are more likely to experience a thrill in seeking the next new thing and acquiring it, and that happens also with sex and relationships,” Bartolo said. “Because of their success, they are also likely to attract more partners, so they have more opportunities for sex.”

A quarter of Gozitans in a relationship said they sometimes wish to have sex with someone other than their partner, despite the fact the majority also said they are very happy with their sex life.

On the other hand, people living in the south of the island are among those least tempted to have sex with someone else, other than their partner.

Six of every 10 respondents said they are satisfied with the frequency of sexual intercourse and do not feel the need for more. But half of men also say they want more sex, as opposed to only two out of every 10 women.

The study found that people who are separated or divorced are also more likely to wish for a more active sexual life.

See the full results of the survey here.