[ISneezeFunny]

OOH! OOH! So it's bigger than 3... less than a million. OK. One step closer.

I have had girls ask me for my number, and I never gave it to them... mainly because it really wouldn't change anything.

[hollylovesbrandon]

I too believe that talking about it is very important. Never be ashamed or afraid what someone will say. The past just that, past. There is nothing you can do to change it now.

[ISneezeFunny]

I wasn't ashamed... it was more along the lines of... "why would you wanna know?"

[Alty]

That's it exactly. Why fret about something you can't change. If someone can't accept me for who I am and what I've done then I really don't need to be with that person to begin with.

I've been happily married for 13 years, so obviously the past doesn't matter that much.

[hollylovesbrandon]

There are reasons. And I don't blame people for wanting to be safe nowadays.

[ISneezeFunny]

Just by asking me how many girls I've slept with will not tell her if I'm safe or not... nor will it tell her whether I'm healthy.

[Alty]

I wasn't ashamed...it was more along the lines of..."why would you wanna know?"

Oh, oh, busted.

It really shouldn't matter if you are sure that you haven't caught anything from the partners that you have had. Aids is a scary disease, I would want to know if there is a possibility that a potential partner has come into contact with any disease. Condoms don't always work, just my feeling about this.

[Marriedguy]

I have to disagree on this being kids stuff.. because a person sexually history tells you a lot about a persons. Yes, I will agree that people change and they should not be judge solely on the fact that the slept with x amount of people.

Most of us are adult and teenage will mirror our image and ideals. This question indirectly ties into why teenage view sex like they do.

Be honest if you where going out with someone of several months and after a nice sex session your in bed cuddling. Your partner says “I feel so close to you right now, I want to tell you before we go any further, x years ago I was male/female prostitute, I hope this doesn't change things” Throw in some tears and dramatic pauses has you see fit.

Yeah, I know, I'm stupid.:p

[kirriky]

I do like asking the numbers. And not only my partners', but also my friends'. It's purely out of curiosity - I don't see anything wrong with knowing (or telling) it. In any case, as you get to know the person and establish his 'past' timeline, you kind of figure out the number anyway, don't you?

[Marriedguy]

Yeah, but you have to take in consideration women/men may only count people they were in relationships with and not the random guy/gal the took home after trip to the club.

[Synnen]

Oh, I count them all--relationships and 1 night stands and short term flings, whatever.

I just don't think it's anyone's business how many of the guys I dated I slept with, and how many guys I didn't date that I slept with.

As long as I practiced safe sex, and got regularly tested--what difference does it make if the number was 1 or 11 or 21? Or 101?

Obviously, the guy who WANTS to sleep with me (because really--do you date someone you don't want to have sex with?) that changes his mind because of a number from my past--well, that guy is a jerk anyway, if he can't deal with the fact that it's MY past. Not his, not anyone else's ---MINE. And really... MY past is what makes me, well... me. And if he likes me, and wants to sleep with me, and then gets put off by a freakin' NUMBER---

Well, all I can say is that I wouldn't be too sorry to see a guy that shallow leave anyway.

[Marriedguy]

I didn't mean to upset any if I did I apologize. This number actually works both ways. I was rejected once because I was a virgin.. she left the room.. saying I can't have sex with no virgin! And no that was not my wife, lol

[mafiaangel180]

Psh... I'm going to be honest. I would be kind of intimidated if they had more than 20+ partners. But whatever... I'm saving myself for Ben Affleck, so I guess I better get over it.

Tick tock Ben... before I'm 30... sheesh.

[Alty]

Forget Ben, I'm going after Vin Diesel, yummy!

[Synnen]

I wasn't really offended--it just makes me wonder why people place such an emphasis on a number that may or may not mean anything.

I honestly think the answer to the question "How many people have you been in love with" says more about a person than the answer to "How many people have you been sexually intimate with?"

[Alty]

Synnen, that's an easy one to answer. I've only been in love once, and I love him more every day. You're right, that's all that really matters.

Married Guy - I wasn't offended either. Don't worry about it, all is good.

[smoothy]

That depends on the age of that person... an unmarried 35 year old can't be held to the same yard stick an 18 year old is. But exactly what that number is can be hard to pin down exactly... by my standards more than 2 per year of adult life is excessive. And even 2 per year average would indicate some sort of commitment issues.

If its into triple digits... thats clearly too damn many however, period no matter how old.

[Marriedguy]

Well, again the question was to get in people personal lives. But since we are all sharing. I think a been in love with

1st: Lourdes - 1st grade to 4th grade, moved away. What? I could have married her...

2nd: Roslie - Taught me true meaning of heart-break. Having someone tell you they don't love you and for you not to come around is no fun. Also, learn you must define a relationship in the beginning.

3rd: My lovely wife..

[kp2171]

Mixed feelings here.

Every person has their comfort zone, some are much more narrow than others, and I don't find fault with either extreme. To each their own. If a person didn't want to be with me because I wasn't a virgin, OK. Differences in perspective. Likewise if I had a few partners or many.

If I was dating a person who had tons of partners, id want to know if she were healthy, just as id want to know this about any person who was sexually active... if you have a known STD its really only morally right to disclose when the relationship gets serious.

The only unique thing I might want to know is, in an extreme case, if this person has jumped from partner to partner, and bed to bed... I might want to understand if she had a desire that couldn't be satiated by just one man. If the drive for that next new lay was too strong to stay committed.

*edited in * would I hope my daughter has longer lasting relationships and fewer sexual partners? Sure, generally speaking. There's a lot of research about the increase in stds among people with multiple partners. Obviously those not practicing safe sex are at greater risk, and of course people lie, cheat, condoms break, etc. this can happen in any relationship, long term or casual, but one would expect the looser the emotional ties to the person, the easier it is to distort the truth or lie... *edited*

My partner had nearly 3 times the number of partners as I did when we met. She learned some good tricks along the way.

[hollylovesbrandon]

I've only been in love once. And I'm there right now with my wonderful husband.