A Numbers Game

How many sexual partners does an average person have over the course of their lifetime? I found myself asking this question after an episode of Scrubs in which JD, Turk, and Dr. Cox each call out their respective tallies: 9, 12, 18. I wondered whether these numbers were realistic as I'd always assumed the average to be much higher than that.

A google search resulted in averages ranging from 6 to 23, which didn't help much until I came across the 2005 Global Sex Survey, conducted by Durex. The answer according to Durex? 9 (globally), with men averaging more partners (10.2) than women (6.9). Canadians and Americans are only slightly more active with an average of 10.7 partners. The Turkish topped the list at 14.5 lovers (maybe it's all that strong Turkish coffee), followed by Aussies (13.3) and Kiwis (13.2), giving new meaning to the term "Down Under".

So I guess the writers of Scrubs did their homework. I think 10.7 is a respectable figure. I personally know people who have had considerably less (like, none) as well as those who've had a lot more (like, the size of a small village) but it's good to know that the Average Joe/Jane may have been around the block but not the neighborhood. I know I wouldn't want my boyfriend to have slept with more than, say, 12 people. Realistically how many men would other men want their girlfriends to have been with? Enough to be considered sexy and experienced but not enough to rival Annabel Chong, right?

Other highlights from the survey...

Countries where you're most like to find:

• Cheaters (AKA Extra-marital affairs): Turkey (58%), Denmark (46%), Norway (41%), Iceland (39%), Finland & Vietnam (36%). (Canada 18%, US 17%).
  
• A One-Night-Stand: Norway (70%), Finland, Sweden & New Zealand (64%), Denmark (63%). (Canada 52%, US 50%).
  
• A threesome: Australia (28%), Iceland, NZ & South Africa (26%), US (24%), and Canada (23%).
  
• Anal sex: Chile (55%), Greece (55%), Crotia (49%), Finland (49%), Norway (48%). (Canada 41%, US 47%).
  

• Most common places to have sex besides the bedroom (globally): in the car (50%), in a washroom (39%), in your parents' bed (ew) 36%.
  
• 54% of Australians have had sex in the park.
  
• 16% of Chileans and 15% of Norwegians have had sex on public transport.
• Canadians and Americans lead the way for Sex on Camera at 21%!
  

Greece is officially the horniest country with Greeks having sex 138 times a year (2.7 times/week) versus the global average of 103 times a year. Canadians and Americans aren't doing so badly at 108 and 113 times per year respectively, or about twice a week, which apparently still ain't enough for the 41% of men who want it more often.

Satisfied with the knowledge of where I fall on the scale I quietly folded up my List and tucked it back into its hiding place. Of course, a person's Number is only one part of the big picture. Just how big of a slut are you? Find out here!