It is the last taboo in Europe. Three out of four women still believe that infidelity is considered more serious than male and up to 41% say they would never confess a slip or their best friend. Modern societies are advancing in many aspects in terms of women’s rights, equality and empowerment. However, in the sexual issue we are still in the antipodes, as revealed by the latest study conducted by Ifop for Gleeden at a European level.

This report, which includes Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, reveals many attitudes and perceptions that confirm that there is still much left to eliminate the stigma that weighs on female infidelity and equate it with masculine infidelity. “Why, despite movements like #MeToo or whole wave of female empowerment, even Western societies think that the unfaithful man is envied kind, and unfaithful women … little more than ‘any’?” , the authors ask themselves.

To begin with, the women surveyed themselves confirm this perception: 77% think that even in our days it is worse. At the European level, 40% declare that women feel infidelity more serious than masculine infidelity. In Spain the percentage drops to 30%. It is an independent perception of the age, educational, sociocultural or economic level of the respondents. Yes, religious and political beliefs influence. 38% of women practitioners and 45% of those who place their ideology on the extreme right think that female infidelity is more serious. The perception becomes more acute when there has been a recent separation, if the couple is expecting a baby or when that third person interferes in a marriage that seems happy.

Above these criteria, the taboo is imposed. Even the unfaithful woman does not talk about it. 41% would never tell. The rest, with reservations. Surprisingly, they would be more willing to tell their own partners than a good friend. Up to 52% of women could come to recognize it at some point. They find it less uncomfortable to talk about a financial problem, a layoff, a depression or even a cancer than a slip. “Maybe the feeling of guilt has a lot to do with all this taboo,” the report says. In fact, 39% of women regret having been unfaithful at some point, although the less fault is the less satisfactory is the sexual life with the couple.

Temptation lives near

Undoubtedly, the most tempting place is work, both the office itself and any occasion linked to it, such as a trip, a congress or a fair. Between 35 and 49 years old, physical attraction is the fundamental reason for infidelity. It is interesting that most of the Spanish women consulted confess to having had some kind of purely psychic infidelity.