Twenty percent of married men and 13% of married women in the United States report having had sex with someone other than their spouse, according to the General Social Survey (GSS) conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago.
Those rates climb to 45% of men and 35% of women when emotional affairs are included, per the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
A YouGov national poll (2024) found that one in three Americans (33%) admitted to cheating at some point. For Illinois families, divorce law treats adultery under a strict no-fault framework — adultery alone does not affect property division, maintenance, or custody under 750 ILCS 5/503, 504, and 602.5.
Key Takeaways
- The GSS (NORC at University of Chicago) reports 20% of married men and 13% of married women have had extramarital sex — a 7-point gender gap that reverses among adults aged 18–29, where women slightly exceed men at 11% versus 10% (IFS, 2018).
- Including emotional affairs raises infidelity rates to 45% of men and 35% of women (AAMFT), and 74% of couples who pursued structured therapy after infidelity successfully recovered (AAMFT, 2012).
- Illinois is a purely no-fault divorce state — adultery does not directly affect property division (750 ILCS 5/503), spousal maintenance (750 ILCS 5/504), or parental responsibilities (750 ILCS 5/602.5). However, dissipation-of-assets claims allow courts to address marital funds spent on an affair.
Infidelity statistics reveal patterns — but when trust breaks down, knowing your legal rights matters most. Cooper Trachtenberg Law Group, LLC has guided Chicagoland families through divorce since 1988. Schedule a free consultation at (847) 995-8800.
1) 20% of Married Men Report Extramarital Sex
Twenty percent of ever-married men in the United States reported having had sex with someone other than their spouse while married, according to the General Social Survey (GSS) conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. The GSS — a federally funded, peer-reviewed study administered since 1972 — measures physical sexual infidelity through its “EVSTRAY” question asked of nationally representative samples. This 20% figure has remained relatively stable across multiple GSS survey waves.
2) 13% of Married Women Report Extramarital Sex
Thirteen percent of ever-married women in the United States reported extramarital sex, according to the same General Social Survey (GSS) administered by NORC at the University of Chicago. The 7-point gap between male and female rates has narrowed over recent decades — compressing from approximately 15 percentage points in the 1990s to 7 points in recent data — but men still report higher rates of physical sexual infidelity across all age groups except 18–29.
3) 33% of Americans Admit to Cheating at Some Point
One in three Americans — approximately 33% — admitted to cheating on a partner or spouse at some point, according to a YouGov national poll published in 2024. The higher figure compared to GSS data reflects YouGov’s broader methodology: the GSS asks specifically about sexual intercourse during marriage, while YouGov measures self-reported cheating across all relationship types, including dating and cohabiting partnerships.
4) 45% of Men Have Engaged in Some Form of Infidelity, Including Emotional Affairs
When the definition of infidelity expands beyond physical sex to include emotional affairs and sexual intimacy short of intercourse, approximately 45% of men have engaged in some form of unfaithfulness during their marriage, according to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Emotional affairs — secret romantic connections maintained without physical contact — represent a significant share of this expanded figure. The AAMFT figure is roughly double the GSS physical-sex-only rate of 20%.
5) 35% of Women Have Engaged in Some Form of Infidelity, Including Emotional Affairs
Approximately 35% of women have engaged in some form of infidelity,y including emotional affairs during their marriage, according to the AAMFT. The 10-percentage-point gap between the AAMFT figure (35%) and the GSS physical-sex-only rate (13%) indicates that emotional infidelity accounts for a substantial proportion of female unfaithfulness. Women report emotional dissatisfaction as a primary driver more frequently than men.
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6) 20–25% of Marriages Experience Infidelity at Some Point
Researchers Fincham and May established through meta-analysis that 20–25% of marriages experience infidelity at some point during the relationship’s duration. This figure represents a lifetime incidence rate — the probability that infidelity will occur at least once during a marriage — rather than a point-in-time snapshot. The range accounts for variation across study methodologies, definitions of infidelity, and population samples.
7) 2–4% of Spouses Engage in Sexual Infidelity in Any Given Year
The annual rate of marital sexual infidelity is substantially lower than the lifetime rate. Fincham and May found that 2–4% of spouses engage in sexual infidelity in any given year. This annual snapshot helps distinguish between the cumulative lifetime risk (20–25%) and the much smaller probability that a specific spouse is currently having an affair in a specific 12-month period.
8) Unmarried Couples Experience Higher Infidelity Rates Than Married Couples
Infidelity affects 44% of unmarried couples compared to 18% of married couples in the United States, according to a 2025 analysis by researcher Brenna Harper. The difference suggests that formal marital commitment reduces — but does not eliminate — infidelity risk.
Cohabiting couples who have not married experience infidelity rates of 35–40%, placing them between dating couples and married couples in overall vulnerability.
9) The Infidelity Gender Gap Has Narrowed From 15 Points to 7 Points
The gender gap in infidelity has compressed from approximately 15 percentage points in the 1990s to roughly 7 points in recent General Social Survey data, according to analysis by the Institute for Family Studies (IFS).
Women’s infidelity rates have increased gradually over the past two decades — particularly among younger cohorts — while men’s rates have remained relatively stable across the same period.
10) Women Aged 18–29 Slightly Exceed Men in Infidelity Rates
Among ever-married adults aged 18–29, women report slightly higher rates of infidelity than men — 11% versus 10% — according to IFS researcher Wendy Wang’s 2018 analysis of GSS data.
This reversal of the overall gender pattern represents a significant generational shift. The gap quickly reverses among adults aged 30–34 and widens progressively in older age groups.
11) 67% of Men Who Cheat Do So More Than Once
Men who engage in infidelity are more likely to repeat the behavior than women — 67% of men who cheat do so more than once, compared to 53% of women, according to behavioral survey data compiled by relationship research institutions.
The higher male repeat rate aligns with research showing that men more frequently cite physical variety and opportunity as primary motivations, both of which are ongoing rather than situational.
12) 45% of People Who Cheat Once Cheat Again in Their Next Relationship
Research by Knopp et al. published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior (2017) found that 45% of individuals who engaged in infidelity in one relationship went on to cheat again in their subsequent relationship.
The study found no significant gender difference in this repeat rate. Past infidelity behavior is one of the strongest predictors of future infidelity, regardless of whether the individual changed partners or circumstances.
13) Women Account for 56% of Emotional-Only Affairs; Men Comprise 75% of Sex-Only Affairs
The IFS iFidelity Survey (2020) documented a structural difference in affair types by gender. Women accounted for 56% of emotional-only affairs — secret romantic connections without physical intimacy — while men comprised 75% of sex-only affairs.
This pattern aligns with broader findings that women more frequently cite emotional dissatisfaction as an infidelity motivation, while men more frequently cite physical desire and opportunity.
14) 56% of Men Are More Upset by Sexual Infidelity; 73% of Women by Emotional Infidelity
Men and women process different types of betrayal with different levels of distress. Research found that 56% of men stated they would be more upset by a partner’s sexual infidelity. In comparison, 73% of women reported that an emotional affair would be more damaging than physical cheating.
The IFS noted that the GSS physical-sex-only definition misses 76% of what Americans consider infidelity — primarily emotional affairs, which women report disproportionately.
15) Men in Their 70s Report the Highest Male Infidelity Rate at 26%
Men in their 70s reported the highest male infidelity rate at 26%, according to IFS researcher Wendy Wang’s analysis of General Social Survey data published in 2018. Men aged 80 and older reported a rate of 24%. Wang attributed this pattern partly to a cohort effect — Americans born in the 1930s and 1940s came of age during periods of shifting sexual norms and reported higher lifetime rates than younger male birth cohorts.
16) Women in Their 60s Report the Highest Female Infidelity Rate at 16%
Women in their 60s reported the highest female infidelity rate at 16%, but this figure declined sharply among women in their 70s and 80s, according to IFS analysis of GSS data (2018).
Wang attributed this pattern to the cohort born in the 1940s and 1950s — the first female generation to come of age during the sexual revolution — who reported higher lifetime rates of extramarital sex than earlier or later female birth cohorts.
17) The Gender Gap in Infidelity Peaks at 18 Percentage Points Among Adults Aged 80+
The gender gap in infidelity reaches its maximum of 18 percentage points among adults aged 80 and older, according to IFS analysis of GSS data (2018). Men aged 80+ reported a 24% infidelity rate while women in the same age group reported approximately 6%. This gap widened steadily from near-parity at ages 18–29 (where women slightly exceeded men) through every subsequent decade.
18) In the 1990s, Male Infidelity Peaked at 31% Among Men Aged 50–59
Historical General Social Survey data show that during the 1990s, the highest rate of male infidelity was reported by men aged 50–59 at 31%. The highest female rate during the same decade was 18% among women aged 40–49.
Both peaks shifted toward older age groups in subsequent decades, reflecting the aging of high-infidelity birth cohorts rather than age-specific changes in behavior.
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19) Between 2000 and 2009, Male Infidelity Peaked at 29% Among Men Aged 60–69
Between 2000 and 2009, peak male infidelity shifted from ages 50–59 to ages 60–69 at 29%, according to IFS analysis of GSS trend data. Peak female infidelity shifted from ages 40–49 to ages 50–59 at 17% during the same period. The IFS attributed these upward age shifts to a generational cohort effect rather than a change in age-specific cheating behavior.
20) Infidelity Rates Increase During Middle Age for Both Men and Women
Infidelity rates for both men and women increase during the middle decades of life, according to IFS analysis of GSS data. The pattern shows relatively lower rates among younger married adults (10–11% for both genders at ages 18–29), rising through the 30s, 40s, and 50s before peaking at different ages by gender.
Life transitions, long-term relationship dissatisfaction, and changing personal priorities all contribute to mid-life infidelity vulnerability.
21) Researchers Identified Eight Primary Motivations for Infidelity
A 2020 study published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy identified eight primary motivations driving infidelity: anger, low self-esteem, lack of love, low commitment, need for variety, neglect, sexual desire, and situation or opportunity.
The study found that no single motivation dominates — most affairs involve a combination of factors. Situation and opportunity ranked among the top motivations for both genders, challenging the assumption that infidelity always stems from relationship dissatisfaction.
22) 58% of Female Cheaters Cite Unhappy Marriage Versus 35% of Male Cheaters
A YouGov UK survey found that 58% of women who cheated cited an unhappy marriage as their primary motivation, compared to only 35% of men who cheated. This finding is consistent with research by Mark et al. (2011) showing that relationship dissatisfaction is the strongest predictor of female infidelity but is displaced by sexual personality traits as the primary predictor for male infidelity.
23) Men Are Five Times More Likely to Cite Thrill-Seeking as a Cheating Motivation
The same YouGov UK survey found that men were five times more likely than women to cite thrill-seeking as their primary cheating motivation (21% versus 4%). Men were also three times more likely to cite revenge (10% versus 4%) and nearly twice as likely to cite intoxication (12% versus 7%). Boredom was the only motivation cited equally by both genders at 8% each.
24) 56% of Men and 34% of Women Who Cheat Rate Their Marriages as Happy
One of the most counterintuitive infidelity statistics: 56% of men and 34% of women who engaged in extramarital affairs rated their marriages as “happy” or “very happy” at the time of the affair.
This finding directly undermines the widespread assumption that infidelity only occurs in unhappy relationships. Opportunity, novelty-seeking, and personality factors all drive infidelity independently of marital satisfaction.
If infidelity has disrupted your family, Cooper Trachtenberg Law Group, LLC represents families across Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, and McHenry counties. Request your confidential consultation.
25) Boredom Motivates Male and Female Cheaters at Equal Rates
The YouGov UK survey found that boredom was cited as a motivation for cheating by 8% of both men and women — the only motivation with no gender difference. All other motivations showed statistically significant gender splits, with men skewing toward thrill, revenge, and intoxication while women skewed toward emotional dissatisfaction and unmet needs within the primary relationship.
26) Neglect Ranks Among the Top Three Motivations for Women Who Cheat
The 2020 Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy study identified neglect as one of the eight primary infidelity motivations, and subsequent survey data shows it ranks among the top three reasons women cite for engaging in affairs.
Women who reported cheating frequently described feeling invisible, unappreciated, or emotionally abandoned within their marriage before seeking connection outside the relationship.
27) Situation and Opportunity Drive Infidelity Independently of Dissatisfaction
Situation and opportunity ranked among the top motivations for both men and women in the 2020 Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy study. This finding means that circumstantial factors — work travel, proximity to an attractive alternative, periods of partner absence — can drive infidelity even in otherwise functional relationships. The implication is that preventing infidelity requires managing environments, not just relationship satisfaction.
28) 31% of All Affairs Involve a Coworker
An estimated 31% of all extramarital affairs involve a coworker, according to a 2024 study published via PR Newswire and HighSpeedInternet.com. Daily interaction, shared professional stress, and the emotional bonding that occurs in workplace settings create conditions in which professional boundaries gradually erode.
The workplace remains one of the two most common channels through which affairs develop, alongside digital platforms.
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29) 70% of Workplace Affairs Start as Friendships
Seventy percent of workplace affairs began between colleagues who initially considered each other friends, according to the same 2024 PR Newswire and HighSpeedInternet.com study.
The transition from friendship to affair typically occurs gradually rather than abruptly — shared lunches, personal conversations, and mutual support during work stress create emotional intimacy that eventually crosses professional boundaries without a single clear inflection point.
30) 44% of Men Who Cheated Had an Affair With Someone From Work
Among men who reported infidelity, 44% identified a coworker as their affair partner, according to behavioral survey data compiled by multiple research institutions. The higher workplace rate for men compared to women correlates with men’s greater likelihood of citing opportunity as a primary infidelity motivation.
Long hours, business travel, and professional environments with minimal supervision increase exposure to workplace affair risk.
31) 36% of Employees Admit to Having Had a Workplace Affair
Thirty-six percent of employees surveyed admitted to having had a workplace affair at some point during their career, according to workplace behavior surveys compiled by PR Newswire (2024).
The statistic encompasses all forms of workplace infidelity — from physical affairs to emotional relationships that crossed professional boundaries. For Illinois divorce cases, expenses incurred during a workplace affair can support a dissipation-of-assets claim under 750 ILCS 5/503.
32) 38% of Affairs Now Originate Through Social Media
38% of affairs now begin on social media rather than through in-person contact, according to Gitnux (2025). Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat accounted for 68% of online infidelity cases in related survey data.
The shift from workplace-initiated to digitally-initiated affairs represents one of the most significant changes in infidelity patterns over the past decade.
33) 30% of Tinder Users Are in a Committed Relationship
An estimated 30% of Tinder users were already in a committed relationship at the time of use, according to a 2024 study by GlobalWebIndex. Bumble reported a lower but still significant figure of approximately 18%. The presence of partnered individuals on dating platforms designed for single users creates a channel for infidelity that did not exist before the smartphone era.
34) 8% of People in Relationships Have Used AI Companions for Romantic Interaction
The Kinsey Institute published a 2025 survey finding that 8% of people in committed relationships had used an AI companion — platforms such as Replika or Character.AI — for romantic or sexual interaction.
This emerging category represents an entirely new frontier in defining infidelity that did not exist even five years ago and is not captured by any traditional infidelity survey methodology.
35) 38% of Partners View AI Companion Use as Cheating
Among the partners of individuals who used AI companions for romantic interaction, 38% considered this behavior a form of cheating, according to the same Kinsey Institute survey (2025). The remaining 62% did not consider AI interaction to be infidelity.
This lack of consensus mirrors broader disagreements about what constitutes cheating in the digital age — 72% of Americans consider a secret online emotional relationship infidelity (IFS). Still, only 32% classify following an ex on social media as cheating.
36) 40.2% of Millennial Cheaters Were Caught Through Phone or Text Monitoring
Among millennial-age cheaters who were caught rather than self-disclosing, 40.2% were discovered through phone or text monitoring by their partner, according to behavioral survey data (2024).
Digital footprints — text messages, dating app notifications, and location-sharing discrepancies — have replaced lipstick on collars as the primary detection mechanism. In Illinois divorce cases, documented text or financial evidence can support dissipation claims.
37) 28% of Affairs Are Discovered Through Social Media
Twenty-eight percent of affairs were discovered through social media posts or interactions, according to behavioral survey data (2024). Direct messages, tagged photos, comments from unknown contacts, and location check-ins all served as digital evidence that revealed infidelity.
An additional 16.3% of men were caught through credit card or financial evidence, compared to 8.8% of women — reflecting gendered spending patterns during affairs.
38) 42% of Cheaters Say the Affair Started as Harmless Messaging
Forty-two percent of individuals who engaged in affairs reported that their relationships began with what they perceived as harmless messaging, according to Gitnux (2025).
The gradual escalation from casual digital conversation to emotional intimacy to physical contact follows a well-documented pattern that relationship researchers call “boundary erosion”. Each small step feels incremental until the cumulative distance from fidelity becomes significant.
39) Infidelity Rates by Race: 22% Black, 16% White, 13% Hispanic
The IFS analysis of GSS data found that 22% of ever-married Black adults reported infidelity, compared to 16% of white adults and 13% of Hispanic adults. Among Black men specifically, the rate was 28% — compared to 20% of white men and 16% of Hispanic men.
These racial differences remained statistically significant even after controlling for other demographic factors in regression models.
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40) Religious Attendance Is the Only Predictor Significant for Both Genders
Religious service attendance emerged as the only demographic factor with consistent statistical significance in predicting both men’s and women’s odds of infidelity, even after controlling for all other variables, according to IFS regression analysis of GSS data (2018). Adults who rarely or never attended religious services cheated at higher rates than regular attendees. No other single factor showed independent significance for both genders simultaneously.
41) Education Level Shows No Significant Association With Infidelity
Education level showed no significant association with infidelity rates, according to IFS analysis of GSS data. Roughly equal shares of college-educated adults (16%) and those with a high school education or less (15%) reported cheating.
Adults with some college education reported slightly higher rates at 18%. The IFS regression model confirmed that education remained non-significant even after controlling for income, age, race, and other demographics.
42) Adults From Non-Intact Families Cheat at Higher Rates
Adults who did not grow up in intact two-parent families reported higher rates of infidelity — 18% compared to 15% among those raised by both biological parents — according to IFS analysis of GSS data.
Family background remained statistically significant as an independent predictor of female infidelity in regression models, though it lost significance for men after controlling for race, age, and religious attendance.
43) Cohabiting Couples Experience Higher Infidelity Than Married Couples
Unmarried cohabiting couples experience infidelity rates of 35–40% compared to 20–25% for married couples, according to AAMFT data and research by Brenna Harper (2025). The difference suggests that formal marital commitment functions as a partial buffer against infidelity.
Relationships in the three-to-five-year range face elevated vulnerability regardless of marital status, coinciding with what researchers identify as an emotional disconnection window.
44) 74% of Couples Who Sought Therapy After Infidelity Successfully Recovered
The AAMFT’s 2012 survey found that 74% of couples who pursued professional therapy after discovering an affair successfully recovered and rebuilt their relationship.
This recovery rate represents the outcome for couples who actively sought structured intervention — not the survival rate for all marriages affected by infidelity. The finding underscores the significant difference that professional guidance makes in post-infidelity outcomes.
45) 60–75% of Marriages Survive Infidelity With Professional Therapy
Four independent studies — Gordon, Baucom, and Snyder (2004); Solomon and Teagno (2006); Stanford (2008); and AAMFT (2012) — each found that 60–75% of couples remained together after discovering an affair when professional therapeutic intervention occurred. Integrative approaches that address both individual emotional distress and relational trust damage showed the strongest outcomes across all four study populations.
46) Only 15.6% of Relationships Survive Infidelity Without Professional Help
Without professional therapeutic intervention, only approximately 15.6% of relationships survive infidelity, according to an analysis of recovery data compiled from multiple longitudinal studies.
The gap between the 60–75% professional therapy survival rate and the 15.6% untreated rate represents one of the strongest arguments for seeking professional support after infidelity discovery — couples who attempt to heal independently face dramatically lower odds.
47) The Healing Timeline After Infidelity Typically Spans Two to Five Years
Relationship therapy research establishes that the healing timeline after discovery of a partner’s affair typically spans two to five years, even for couples who ultimately recover successfully. The early phase (0–6 months) involves crisis management and emotional stabilization.
The middle phase (6–18 months) focuses on understanding causes and rebuilding communication. The final phase (18 months–5 years) involves restoring trust and redefining the relationship’s foundation.
48) 40% of Cheaters Are Divorced or Separated Versus 17% of Faithful Spouses
Among ever-married adults who reported cheating on their spouses, 40% were currently divorced or separated at the time of the GSS survey, according to IFS analysis. By comparison, only 17% of adults who remained faithful were no longer married.
Conversely, 76% of faithful spouses were currently married, versus approximately 50% of those who reported infidelity. Among male cheaters specifically, 61% remained currently married versus only 44% of female cheaters.
49) 72% of Americans Consider a Secret Online Emotional Relationship to Be Infidelity
A national survey analyzed by the Institute for Family Studies found that 72% of Americans consider a secret online emotional relationship to constitute infidelity, and 76% classify a secret in-person emotional relationship as cheating.
However, far less consensus exists on borderline behaviors — only 32% consider following an ex on social media infidelity, and only 30% classify a partner’s pornography use as cheating. These definitional disagreements directly affect how infidelity statistics are interpreted.
Cooper Trachtenberg Law Group, LLC, led by Miriam Cooper (practicing since 1988), represents Chicagoland families in divorce, custody, maintenance, and property division across Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, and McHenry counties. Book your confidential case review at (847) 995-8800.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Common Is Cheating in American Marriages?
The General Social Survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago reports that 20% of married men and 13% of married women have engaged in extramarital sex. Including emotional affairs raises those figures to approximately 45% of men and 35% of women, according to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
What Percentage of All Americans Have Cheated on a Partner?
A YouGov national poll published in 2024 found that one in three Americans, approximately 33%, admitted to cheating on a partner or spouse at some point across all relationship types. The higher percentage compared to GSS data reflects YouGov’s broader definition, which includes dating and cohabiting relationships rather than only marital intercourse.
Do Men or Women Cheat More Often?
Men cheat more than women overall, with 20% of married men versus 13% of married women reporting extramarital sex according to GSS data. The gender gap narrows among younger adults aged 18–29, where women slightly exceed men at 11% versus 10% per the Institute for Family Studies analysis published in 2018.
At What Age Do People Cheat the Most?
Men in their 70s report the highest male infidelity rate at 26%, and women in their 60s report their peak at 16%, according to IFS analysis of General Social Survey data published in 2018. The gender gap widens steadily with age and reaches its maximum of 18 percentage points among adults aged 80 and older.
How Often Do Marriages Survive After Infidelity?
Research shows that 60–75% of marriages survive infidelity when couples pursue structured professional therapy, and the AAMFT’s 2012 survey found a 74% recovery rate among therapy-seeking couples specifically. Without professional help, reconciliation rates drop to roughly 15.6%, according to compiled longitudinal data.
Does Cheating Affect Divorce Outcomes in Illinois?
Illinois operates as a purely no-fault divorce state, meaning adultery does not directly affect property division under 750 ILCS 5/503, spousal maintenance under 750 ILCS 5/504, or parental responsibilities under 750 ILCS 5/602.5. Courts can address marital funds spent on an affair through dissipation-of-assets claims.
What Is the Most Common Way Affairs Begin?
Workplace proximity accounts for 31% of all affairs according to a 2024 PR Newswire study, with 70% of those beginning as friendships between colleagues. Gitnux reported in 2025 that 38% of affairs now originate on social media platforms, making digital channels the fastest-growing channel for initiation.
Are People Who Cheat Likely to Cheat Again?
Research by Knopp et al., published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior in 2017, found that 45% of individuals who cheated in one relationship cheated again in their subsequent relationship. Additional survey data shows 67% of men who cheat do so more than once, compared to 53% of women who cheat.
Why Do Men and Women Cheat for Different Reasons?
A 2020 study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy identified eight primary motivations for infidelity. Women more frequently cite emotional dissatisfaction and neglect, while men more often report thrill-seeking and opportunity. A YouGov UK survey found men were five times more likely to cite thrill as motivation.
Does Religion Affect Infidelity Rates?
Religious service attendance is the only demographic factor that showed consistent statistical significance in predicting both men’s and women’s odds of infidelity across all variables, according to IFS regression analysis of General Social Survey data. Adults who rarely or never attended services reported higher infidelity rates than regular attendees.
Can AI Companions Be Considered Cheating?
The Kinsey Institute published a 2025 survey finding that 8% of people in committed relationships had used an AI companion for romantic or sexual interaction. Among their partners, 38% considered this behavior a form of cheating while 62% did not, highlighting ongoing disagreement about digital-age infidelity boundaries.
How Long Does It Take to Recover From an Affair?
The healing timeline after discovery of infidelity typically spans two to five years, according to relationship therapy research, even for couples who successfully recover. The AAMFT’s 2012 survey found that 74% of couples who pursued structured therapy after infidelity rebuilt their relationship through sustained professional intervention.
