What you should know about open relationship

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Relationship and Lifestyles

Open relationship

Ever wondered what being in an open relationship feels like? Having had the thought of sharing your partner with someone else? Having had the thought of managing with jealousy! Yes, these and many more are what entails in open relationships. Monogamy is not an option in any form of open relationship. Open relationships could be any form of a romantic relationship, it could be open dating or open marriage.
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What is an open relationship?

An open relationship is a kind of relationship in which the parties involved have permission to be romantically or sexually involved with people outside the relationship. This is a clear contrast to the conventional "close relationship" we normally see where the parties involved have chosen to be with one another exclusively. Open relationships have been dated back to the 1970s. As much as this act may sound complicated, there are some people already so into it, some making progress and some not. There are some quick facts you need to have at the tip of your finger if you have ever thought of engaging in an open relationship;

An open relationship is sometimes used as a synonym for polyamory (the practice, desire, and acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved) which is not supposed to be so. In polyamory, the bonds are allowed to form in the sense that the people involved get to know each other very well and the connection is just there among them, whereas in open relationships, the bond is absent, there is no connection between the partners and the outside people.

Types of open relationship

Open relationships are of different types which will be listed below:

• Hybrid relationship:  this is a type of open relationship in which one partner is monogamous and the other is non monogamous. There are always bound to be problems in the relationship as jealousy will set in later on.

• Swinging: this is a form of open relationship in which partners in an intimate and committed relationship engage in sexual activities with others as a recreational or social activity. Some practice this out of curiosity, while some practice it to add excitement or variety to their otherwise conventional sex lives. Most swingers maintain that sex amongst them is often frank and as such more honest than infidelity.

• Multi-partner relationship: this is a type of open relationship in which the three or more parties involved are not sexually attracted.

As much as you may probably want to try this open relationship, there are basic rules that you must keep to make it a success;

An open relationship is believed to occur in certain demographics such as the young rather than the old, the college-educated rather than the uneducated, the middle class rather than the working class, or people of certain tribes and ethnic groups. Surveys have shown that most males who cohabit or live in a communal group are more interested in and involved in open relationships than females.

For every action, there must be something that initiated it, so before  a person decides to involve in an open relationship there must be the reason which we are about looking into it:

Reasons for open relationship

1. Being non-monogamous If you're born that way.

2. Varying sex drives between partners

3. Loving someone else but not wanting to end the old relationship

4. Realizing you cannot fulfill your partner's need

5. When you live very far apart from your partner

6. When you feel the need for a challenge in your relationship, sense that open relationships create a sense of jealousy, attachment, and possessiveness which are all challenges for a relationship to work out.

As much as open relationships may sound interesting, some problems come with them. The number one problem is jealousy. Even in a simple monogamous relationship, jealousy is always a thing to battle with, so there is every indication that if the relationship graduates up to three people, there will be a greater share of jealousy especially when one party is monogamous and the other is not. Based on reviews, jealousy remains the major problem of open relationships.

Another problem associated with open relationships is the lack of attention. Partners in a monogamous relationship tend to care for and cherish each other. There is this bond of commitment that they always feel they are responsible for each other. The initiation of a third party I.e an open relationship will reduce the initial attention as all the attention and energy now will be channeled to the new relationship and this will greatly affect the already existing relationship.

Risk of STDs is another problem associated with open relationships. Having multiple sex partners can put you at a very high risk of contracting STDs especially when you keep having unprotected sex with them. This is very common in open relationships as you would have more than one intimate partner. For you to play safe, you have to use protective materials like condoms, etc to avoid these infections. An open relationship is a choice, all you need is the consent and agreement of your partners and you are good to go! Play safe and stay safe.