200810272226 | Monogamy is 'unnatural'

Monogamy is 'unnatural'

London - One in five Britons find monogamy undesirable and nearly a third think it is unnatural, according to a sex survey out on Sunday. Asked about homosexuality, 24% thought gay sex should be made illegal. The ICM poll, in a 70-page supplement in The Observer newspaper, found that women were more likely to view monogamy as natural and desirable, while young Britons were "significantly more promiscuous than previous generations".

Cheating

The survey found that 18% had been unfaithful to their current partner, with 56% of those having been unfaithful with a friend of their partner, or someone known to their partner.

Some 49% said they had had a one-night stand and 21% had slept with someone whose name they did not know.

"Women are more likely to take the trouble to ask someone's name before sleeping with them," the poll found.

Nine partners on average

The survey found that 4% of respondents considered themselves homosexual, with 2% bisexual.

However, 13% said they had had sexual contact with someone of the same sex.

On average, respondents had lost their virginity between the ages of 16 and 17 and had had nine sexual partners, with 20% of the population having had more than 10.

Asked if they had ever had sex with someone of a different colour, 28% said yes, while 43% said they would never consider it