Sexual Promiscuity in America

Abstract

Although true promiscuity, or highly indiscriminate sexual participation, is rare in human history, plural sexuality in a somewhat casual manner has been part of the American scene since Colonial days and is still very much with us. At the present time, nonmonogamous indulgence appears to be increasing, especially on the part of educated and middle-class females; and the pronounced feelings of anxiety, guilt, and depression that once resulted from premarital and extramarital promiscuity are being considerably reduced. A recent development has been the advocacy and practice of group love as well as group sex relations by certain segments of our population. Several important factors have encouraged American sexual promiscuity during the last decade—including technological advances, marital disillusionment, sociopolitical alienation, increasing libertarianism, and the involvement of many individuals in intensive psychotherapy. While some authorities feel that promiscuous sex is thoroughly incompatible with mental health, others take the view that it is not. There seem to be both healthy and disturbed reasons why certain individuals freely engage in a variety of sex-love affairs. Though sexual promiscuity in America will probably not grow by leaps and bounds in the near future, there are indications that a slow advance to new levels of sane and enlightened sexual freedom is likely to occur.