Dating: Swinging?

This survey was conducted through email, and participants were students that attend California State University Fullerton, University Irvine, and Garden Grove. The data is based on results from 59 participants.
The purpose of this survey was to understand the different points of views that people have with the topic of the swinging lifestyle focusing on whether people associate swinging with cheating, if males/females are more prone to suggest swinging lifestyle, what participants think the reason is for people to take part in the swinging lifestyle, if participants would actually want to take par in the swinging lifestyle, and if they would be comfortable telling friends/family that they are part of a swinging community. There are ten questions in the survey which ask the following:
1. What is your gender? 42 females and 17 males.
2. What is your age? There were 10 nineteen year olds, 44 participants in their 20's, 2 people in their thirties, and 3 people in their forties respectively. The youngest participant was 19 years of age and the oldest participant was 41 respectively.
3. What is your ethnicity? There were 27 Caucasians, 20 Hispanics, 1 African American, 1 Pakistani, 2 Filipinos, 2 Asians, and 6 participants of mixed ethnicity.
4. Do you associate swinging as cheating? Results found that 60% of participants said yes; swinging is cheating. 36% said no; swinging is not cheating. 2% skipped the question. Data concluded that despite the fact that both partners agree to have sexual intercourse with other couples, the majority of participants still feel that having intercourse with someone else beside their own partner is considered cheating.
5. What are some reasons why you would not consider swinging as an option in your relationship? 31% of participants felt that they would be jealous of another person having sexual intercourse with their spouse. 20% of participants feared that they would lose their spouse. 9% of participants would not take part in swinging because of religious beliefs/morals. 23% said that all of the above would affect their decision. The following are additional reasons given by the participants in a comment box. 6% feared they would gain STDs. 1% felt swinging was gross. 1% would be embarrassed. 11% skipped the question. Results found that jealousy is a big factor for people in taking part in swinging. It is assumed that the thought of having a stranger have sex with your spouse in completely unacceptable, although in the end you know your spouse will return home with you.
6. While in a relationship, would you consider swinging as an option for sexual pleasure? 77% said they would not participate in swinging for sexual pleasure. 23% said they would participate in swinging.
7. If your spouse wanted to take part in "swinging activities" but you were uncomfortable with the idea, would you still take part in the activities to please your spouse? 87% of participants said they would not take part to please their spouse. 13% said they would give in to their spouse and take part to please them. Although there is a higher percentage of a person not taking part in swinging for their spouse's pleasure, it was interesting to see that there is till a small percentage of people that do trust their spouse and will support their spouse no matter how absurd the idea or situation is.
8. Do you think males or females are more likely to suggest the idea in becoming a swinging couple? 73% of participants felt that males would be the first to suggest the idea in becoming a swinging couple. 23% felt females would be first to suggest swinging. 4% skipped the question. This shows that society still believes in the stereotype that men always want sex, that it does not matter who they have sex with, and that men are fascinated in the many ways to experience sexual intercourse. However, almost 1/4 of participants felt that women would suggest the idea first, which comes to show that society's belief about who wants sex more is slowly beginning to shift from males to females.
9. Why do you think people take part in swinging activities? 34% of participants voted that swinging are looking for a sexual thrill. 15% voted they do not want to gain the title of being a "cheater" so they include their spouse in the "act." 13% voted they are not happy with their relationship's sexual activity. 0% said swingers felt lonely. 30% chose the option of all of the above factors will effect swinging participation. The following are additional answers given by participants in a comment box. 1% felt the environment in which a person is raised compels a person to take part in distinctive lifestyles. 1% felt that it was promiscuity. 1% felt that swingers are turning a fantasy into a hobby. 4% of participants skipped the question.
10. If you take part in swinging activities and enjoy the activities, would you allow others such as family and friends to know you are a swinger? 82% of participants voted no; they wouldn't tell anyone about their swinging lifestyle. 13% voted yes; they would tell friends and family. The following are addition answers given by participants in a comment box. 5% of participants would only tell close friends about their swinging lifestyle. 0% would tell family members. The data comes to find that people would not tell anyone about their personal life, and that the swinging lifestyle is a subject of taboo. A participant stated in the comment box "No. I think that it is something that's not really accepted within American society and especially within the Latino community." However, there are a small percentage of people that would tell others about their personal life. One participant stated "If I did take part in swinging activities I would not be ashamed of my actions." Another participant stated "I don't take part in these activities, but I am a strong believer in accepting how other people choose to live their lives. Who is anyone to say someone is wrong just because it's not something they support." There are a certain amount of individuals who are open to the swinging lifestyle and accept the concept even though they do not take part in the activities themselves. They believe that people should not be afraid to express themselves. Another interesting fact was that 5% of participants feel more comfortable telling their friends about personal choices as opposed to telling their family. I think its interesting that people do not want to tell their family, even though they have known their family their entire life, and feel much more comfortable telling friends about their personal life.

V.Lopez