Introduction
Sexual behavior has a direct impact on the family life experience as sexual activity is an essential part of a healthy relationship. But, sexual activity can also cause disruption and confrontation in family life when one or both partners are indulging in sexual activity outside their relationship. Many couples and families are broken due to the sexual behaviors of partners. The worst case is when partners hide their sexual activity from each other or have secret relationships. Such scenarios have a negative influence on the family life and changes the family dynamic in many cases, as people cannot ignore infidelities of their partners (Rector et al., 2003). Therefore, Sexual behavior and preferences of people in a relationship or marriage can negatively impact family life and can easily tear apart close relationship in matter of moments.
Impact of Sexual Behavior on Relationships
Sexual preferences and behavior such as cheating on partner and having multiple sexual partners causes many divorces in America. People expect loyalty from partners and when they realize that their partner is cheating on them with multiple sexual partners, many decide to end their relationship in the anger and disappointment. Also, there are several instances when marriages are broken when a person finds out that their partner have been having a sexual relationship with someone else in secret. Infidelity and keeping sex life secret are highly common ways family life is affected as most people do not accept such sexual behavior from their partners. In such cases, divorces and break-up of family is common experience as people do not like to be cheated on by their partner.
Secrets are encountered in every aspect of life, but when secrets are kept from family members they can be destructive. For example: a partner holding out the reality of their sexual preferences from their partner and keeping it secret can also impact family life. Many people realize late in their life about their homosexuality and many others prefer to keep it hidden from their partners to sustain their relationship. When their partner finds out they feel cheated in their relationship and often break up their marriage or relationship to get some form of closure.
Therefore, secrets related to sexual behavior in marriages are like burning rope of a TNT that can explode any time and end the relationship.
People consider their family as their support system and prefer to dole out their secrets and sexual needs with their partners. In fact, ability of forming close relationships with outsiders is based on the communication and trust factors present in their family life or relationship. When secrets are revealed about sexual activity of partners such as infidelity, the emotional fallout from such experiences lasts for a long time, and in some cases forever. The emotional fallout often causes the divorces and break-ups as people are unwilling to accept humiliation and discomfort they receive from their partner’s infidelity and sexual activities (Imber-Black, 2016). Sexual behavior has the capability of estranging married couples and leaving their relationship for dead.
Conclusion
Sexual behavior has a major impact on the sustenance of relationship as people expect loyalty and love from their partners. But, many times people get cheated on by their partners in terms of secretive sexual preferences or sexual activity and multiple sex partners. In such cases, people often facing emotional fallout as their world is shattered and the support system that they relies upon gets breached by their partner. The impact of such sexual behavior and preferences can be break-up of marriages and divorces as people are unable to accept the humiliation and disgust they feel after people learn that their spouse or partner cheated on them.
References
Imber-Black., E. (2016, 9 June). The Power of Secrets. Retrieved 3 January 2017 from, https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199807/the-power-secrets
Rector., R., Johnson., K.A., Martin., S., & Noyes., L.R. (2003). Harmful Effects of Early Sexual Activity and Multiple Sexual Partners among Women: A Book of Charts. Retrieved 3 January 2017 from, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2003/06/harmful-effects-of-early-sexual-activity-and-multiple-sexual-partners-among-women-a-book-of-charts
