men don’t need girlfriends to cheat, neither do they need to spend money
Have we defined cheating yet? Are we talking unauthorized sexual contact or a secret relationship?
Yeah, you don’t normally slip a diamond ring through a glory hole (ooh, I just invented a new sex act!) or shower a one-night stand with presents.
I suppose, historically, it’s been easier for men to get away with cheating simply because they can’t get pregnant, and because they were more likely to be traveling to places outside their social circle.
I’d say women. Very sneaky.
Men are more likely to want to talk about it, loose lips sink ships. And probably somewhere, somehow, harbor the thought of a threesome with the wife and the girlfriend. 
I’m saying that some women’s standards are so low that *Ted Bundy *had women chasing him before he was executed. I doubt women serial killer have men willing to marry them from jail. I could be wrong, but in my experience there’s a lot more desperate women than desperate men.
Of course, that’s kind of beside the point of the OP which addresses who is a better cheater. I’d have to say that I’ve seen very convincing liars of both sexes.
Women of course. And if I may say they justify it better to themselves.
Depends on the person.
In my experience women always seem to feel guilty and want absolution. Or they’ll confess it when they want something with barbs in it to really hurt the guy (the latter not based on personal experience, thankfully). On the other hand, I’m pretty good about picking up body language and I generally have good relationships, so I don’t have vast experience with cheating partners.
Women, and not for any other reason other than the men just don’t care. Away without any reason for 2-4 days a week? *Good! *Strange hotel bills showing up on the credit card? Good! You woulda spent twice that in the fucking mall!
Let some other Motherfucker pick up your tab for a few days a month. Just get the hell outta the house, Bitch!
This is a whoosh, right? I know the Dope is sometimes riddled with posts from bitter lonelyhearts and divorce(e)s taking their rage out on half the planet and occasionally real ingrained sexism gets passed off as ‘Can’t you take a joke?’… but this is just scary.
I vote women, because I think they are in denial about cheating. Many women I have met think men are ‘dogs’. Once they convince themselves that men are dogs, they give themselves a victim complex. Once they are convinced that they are victims, they allow themselves to take comfort in another’s arms. Once they do that, they tell themselves it doesn’t count because they only do it because he does. Once they convince themselves of that, they are never going to get caught.
**The above views are only my own amatuer observations of many women that I personally know, and they don’t reflect on women at large. Also, I don’t think that my opinion on the matter is typical or reflective of women in general; just my own take on many women I know and cheating.
I’m not sure why but this reminds me of the time I got a BJ from a woman. Her reason for wanting to give me one is that she caught her BF cheating on her. She said she forgave him but then she turns around and blows some guy she just met in a bar. (Me)
(TMI Alert: She was also one of only two women in my life that swallowed my unholy load. After it was done, she told me that was the first time she had ever swallowed. I guess it was the extra “fuck you” she needed to get even in her mind.)
Hell hath no fury like woman scorned I guess.
Wouldn’t that be “blow jobs hath no lip licking like a woman scorned”? 
I hope the answer is women because they don’t figure in the equation for me, would certainly make life easier.
This is the first thread that I’ve seen here that’s rampant with gross generalizations and hyperbole about both genders. I hope a lot of it is a woosh because if it isn’t, it’s kind of sad and depressing to think that so many smart people have such bitterness toward the opposite sex.
I find this a very interesting comment because it seems to be not the case at least around the SDMB, most of the “lonely heart” threads are started by men.
That’s because you’re a woman. No guy is going to confide in a woman that he cheated on his woman with another woman. (bolding mine)
I think women are better cheaters, but not better serial cheaters. What I mean is, if a woman is in a relationship and she’s not happy, and she’s going to cheat, she’ll be more selective about who she cheats with and it will be just one person. Then either she’ll leave her guy for him, or end the affair. But a guy who is going to cheat is more likely to bang anyone he finds who is willing, and whenever the opportunity strikes. “A girl in every port”, so to speak.
Lots of men have confided in me about their cheating.
An old friend’s husband ‘confided’ in me when she was 9 months pregnant. I figured it was ‘suicide by best friend’ and made him tell her himself if he wanted her to know. I’d have rather he kept it to himself because I never got over that feeling of utter contempt when I talked to him.
That guy was either really stupid or *really *wanted out. Either way, that was a terrible thing to do to you.
The guys who’ve confided in me have been *my *friends, not my friends’ husbands!
He wasn’t dumb but I think that he was one of the most self-centered and self-indulgent people on the planet who thought his whims and desires were more important than anyone else’s could possibly be. He needed to ‘find himself’ (in someone else’s bed) but it would have been nice if he had thought about that before he fathered two children in 3 years. He stuck around for 2 weeks after the baby was born and then abandoned them all to go live in a commune. To his credit I never would have suspected it if he hadn’t told me.
</derail about lame guy>
My own theory is that women are better cheaters because men have bigger egos. Let me explain.
As a general rule, women think men are dogs. Women almost EXPECT men to cheat. They are raised from an early age to look for it and are taught all the signs by other women.
Men don’t have this. Men go around thinking that they are the best thing that ever happened to the woman they are with. Their egos can’t let them think that their woman would ever do such a thing, so they don’t look for it. They don’t have other men teaching them the signs, because most men wouldn’t admit that their woman cheated on them even if it happened.
Women aren’t better at cheating, men are just worse at finding out.
Neither are better, men just seem to have to brag about it until everyone is sick of hearing about it.