London - They may be becoming more adventurous, but Britons are also becoming more disapproving of men and women who cheat on their other halves, a survey has found.
Some 70 percent of women and 63 percent of men do not think it right for married adults to have one night stands or affairs.
This is up from 53 percent of women and 45 percent of men who disapproved in the 1990s.
Researchers say people are becoming more respectful of their partners and acutely aware of the hurt they could cause by straying.
Dr Cath Mercer, of University College London, said: “When we are thinking about our real sex lives, our real relationships, we recognise the importance of being respectful.
“That’s not necessarily the case of what we might see online or in films. When it comes down to real people – we recognise the importance of respect and trust and I think that’s why we’re seeing this trend.
“We’re becoming more disapproving of casual sex. We all know people who have suffered the consequences of affairs and relationship breakdowns where others have got hurt. We don’t want that for ourselves and we don’t want it for our friends and family.”
Yet despite the increase in overall disapproval, the number of married women who think it would be acceptable to have a one night stand has increased from five percent to 13 percent since the 1990s. A fifth of married men think there is nothing wrong with a one night stand, the same as 20 years ago. - Daily Mail