# Would you lie about your number of partners?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 24, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481 "2005-08-24T20:26:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/21 "2005-08-25T06:25:56Z")
What is this “average” range? It would be different for different ages. Myself, the number is 5. It sounds just right to me. If a guy said (though I wouldn’t ask) 300, I would assume he wasn’t looking for a serious relationship!
---
### Author:  [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/22 "2005-08-25T06:39:01Z")
I have lied and I don’t feel bad about lying. It’s really nobody’s business anyway.
I have no idea how many partners I’ve had, mostly when I was too young to even be having partners. I was one of those silly girls that just wanted boys to like me.
---
### Author:  [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/23 "2005-08-25T06:45:21Z")
As I mentioned above, I’m not sure of my actual count. I lost track when the number exceeded the total of all my fingers plus all my toes. I have friends who actually envy my wild past. Feh.
Personally, if I had my druthers and could go back and clean things up, I would have had four sexual partners, each one of whom was someone who really mattered to me, and with whom sex was much more than just a fast-food grab-and-run throwaway experience.
Sometimes wisdom comes from pain. Tell 'em that from the sadder but wiser girl.
---
### Author:  [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/24 "2005-08-25T07:32:17Z")
I have lied and will probably continue to lie when asked by girl. Well, not lie so much as make very vague statements.
I was in a band for a good number of years(a long time ago). We played bars all the time. There tended to be a large number of availble women who liked band members. So sex tended to happen. Alot\*.
I wasn’t the biggest slut, some of the guys I knew bedded every woman that came their way, but I wasn’t one to turn down a good roll in the hay.
These days I’m very mellow. Somewhere along the line I decided that sex with sttangers just isn’t as cool as it sounds.
Slee
If you really want a count, bummer, I don’t know. I tried counting once and gave up somewhat depressed.
---
### Author:  [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/25 "2005-08-25T07:52:46Z")
I’m a guy and I’ve lied about how many to make it a lower count. I’m not particularly happy about my past sluttiness. A couple of cases in particular make me ask myself, "What was I _thinking_? :smack: My current girlfriend is a bit conservative, so she got a vague, “A few,” when the issue came up. I did come of age during the AIDS boom years, so I got tested regularly and was rigorous about protection.
---
### Author:  [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/26 "2005-08-25T08:57:44Z")
Tell the truth to God, irishfella and my doctor, lie to my parents, siblings and strangers.
My friends…well that depends on how much we’ve been drinking.
---
### Author:  [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/27 "2005-08-25T10:10:13Z")
I wouldn’t answer or at least not until quite far into the relationship.
I’m not ashamed of my number at all (unsure maybe, but not ashamed) but I just think it is not a good plan to discuss previous love interests with current love interests. IMO it’s not a good idea in the same way as going on about your ex is not a good idea.
---
### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/28 "2005-08-25T12:01:49Z")
I’m female and I think if a guy asked me that question, he’d be hoping I’d give a number between zero and three. Well, that’s not the answer he’d get, so I hope he’d have the good sense not to ask.
---
### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/29 "2005-08-25T12:06:10Z")
> [@Lakai](#):
>
> Considering that the answer zero comes with very negative social consequences, I would have to lie about it.
And I would absolutely NOT lie because if an honest zero is a dealbreaker than the future was never going to be rosy.
The older I get, the less certain I am that I would demand the same answer from my potential partner in life, marriage, and eventually sex. But there are reasons why my number is “absurdly low” (to use **Draelin** ’s term) and anyone who didn’t respect and preferrably agree with them is not a good long term partner potential.
YMMV- and if your age or reasons are different than mine, I can understand why your motivations to respond to this question are different than mine.
---
### Author:  [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/30 "2005-08-25T13:10:02Z")
I think I’ve only been asked once–and that was by a guy I had absolutely no intention have sex with (especially after I heard his number, lying or not, it was way too high–he couldn’t even remember FIRST names, or if he actually knew the girl’s first name before they had sex).
However, I don’t think at this point in my life, it matters. Even if I could remember enough to count…
---
### Author:  [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/31 "2005-08-25T14:06:33Z")
I will be married 10 years in October. Before we were married my husband made it clear that any discussion of sexual past was not something he could deal with. So, because we are both physically healthy, we have NEVER discussed it. How bizarre is that? Anyway, if he were to suddenly change his mind, I would totally lie! I don’t think he’d be able to go from never wanting to discuss it to discovering that I’d had sex with, um, several men before I met him. I’d tell him it was 3.
---
### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/32 "2005-08-25T16:53:39Z")
I lied like a bitch. You’d need freakin’ scientific notation for my answer to have been anywhere near accurate.
---
### Author:  [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/33 "2005-08-25T18:24:49Z")
> [@sleestak](#):
>
> I was in a band for a good number of years(a long time ago). We played bars all the time. There tended to be a large number of availble women who liked band members. So sex tended to happen. Alot\*.
Oh why couldn’t the same thing be said about the _orchestra_ members? 😉
I never lie, but then, I’ve always avoided discussing specifics.
---
### Author:  [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/34 "2005-08-25T19:04:01Z")
Another evader/liar here:
I would fist try to avoid the question though. The last time I was asked (by my wife) I joked “In California?” She got the message.
If nailed down I’d lie to make it lower. I’m not really ashamed of my past, but recognize that the number (if I knew it) would be considered absurdly high unless we were discussing rock stars.
---
### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/35 "2005-08-25T19:14:27Z")
I wouldn’t lie, but again, it’s a number that’s considered around average or mabe even a little low for the era I grew up in.
I wouldn’t ask, though. Not only am I not curious, I really don’t care.
---
### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/36 "2005-08-25T20:08:39Z")
> [@Nvme77](#):
>
> Ok so what is the \*\*ballpark figure? \*\*
> …
> Is there a **sliding curve?**
:dubious:
I would tell the truth, and go out of my way to mention that they were all women.
---
### Author:  [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/37 "2005-08-25T20:17:22Z")
I’m remembering on _Cheers_, when Diane asked Sam how many partners he’d had.
He started to answer, “Oh, three or four hun-”, at which point Diane gasped, leading Sam to continue, “-eys… I’ve had three or four honeys”.
---
### Author:  [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/38 "2005-08-25T20:40:50Z")
> [@lieu](#):
>
> I lied like a bitch. You’d need freakin’ scientific notation for my answer to have been anywhere near accurate.
4867390584^0?
😛
---
### Author:  [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/39 "2005-08-25T21:59:03Z")
Question: do you count just people with whom you’ve had intercourse, or do you also count those with whom you’ve had sexual contact? I have three separate lists, the way I count.
---
### Author:  [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481/40 "2005-08-25T22:28:21Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#):
>
> Question: do you count just people with whom you’ve had intercourse, or do you also count those with whom you’ve had sexual contact? I have three separate lists, the way I count.
If one is intercourse, the second is other miscellaneous sexual contact…
what’s the third list? :eek:
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481.md?page=1)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-lie-about-your-number-of-partners/318481.md?page=3)