“Men and women cheat for different reasons,” says infidelity expert Ruth Houston, who was recently quoted in a New York Times article on female infidelity.

(PRWEB) -- In a recent New York times article, Ruth Houston, infidelity expert and author of “Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs”, pointed out that married men and women each have different reasons for cheating on their spouses and that most cases of female infidelity appear to be preventable.

The article, High Infidelity by Marcelle Fischler, explored the rising trend in female infidelity, and included comments from a number of cheating wives as well as interviews with marriage counselors, infidelity experts, private investigators, divorce lawyers and other professionals in the field.

The Top Reasons Men and Women Cheat

''The No.1, 2 and 3 reasons for men relate to sex,'' Ms. Houston said. ''A woman cheats for the most part as a last resort. She has tried everything, her complaints have fallen on deaf ears and she feels she has no other alternative.''

Ms Houston, whose ongoing infidelity research spans 10 years and encompasses both male and female infidelity, lists the most popular reasons cheating husbands and cheating wives give for engaging in extramarital affairs.

Why Men Cheat

The most frequently cited reasons for infidelity among men include

• more sex (the desire for a more active sex life)

• sexual variety (a desire for different kinds of sex)

• opportunistic sex (taking advantage of an opportunity to have sex without the fear of getting caught)

• to satisfy sexual curiosity (about a specific female)

• a feeling of entitlement (the belief that it's a man's prerogative to cheat)

Why Women Cheat

The reasons most frequently cited for female infidelity include

• a desire for emotional closeness and intimacy (someone caring to confide in and bond with on an emotional level)

• a desire for attention (wanting be the center of a man's attention again)

• to reaffirm her desirability (To feel validated as a woman)

• to re-experience feelings of romance

• a desire to feel “special”

Women are Cheating for Emotional, Not Sexual Reasons

“The bottom line regarding infidelity” says Ms Houston, “is that men are cheating on their wives primarily for sexual reasons, while women are cheating on their husbands primarily for emotional reasons.”

There are numerous studies on infidelity that support these findings. In one study, 75% to 80% of the men who admitted to having extramarital affairs said that sex was the primary reason. Only 20% of the woman who were having extramarital affairs said they did so for purely sexual reasons.

Most Female Infidelity May be Preventable

“What I find most interesting about my research, as well as other studies on female infidelity, is that the majority of the reasons cheating wives give for infidelity are things that could be easily remedied by an attentive husband who's willing to make the effort.” says Ms Houston, whose website http://www.InfidelityAdvice.com , provides practical advice for victims of infidelity. “This leads me to conclude that most cases of female infidelity are probably preventable.”

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