Some experts believe that this new gender equality in sexual autonomyand adventurousness (often referred to as "bridging the infidelity gap") maybe attributed to several factors: an increasing number of women workingoutside the home, encountering more potential sexual partners, spendingmore time away from their spouses or partners, having more opportunitiesto travel (people often engage in affairs while on trips), not to mentiontoday's women being financially more secure and independent-makingthe risk of getting caught cheating less likely to ruin their lives, as they canafford to take such risks. Moreover, the variety of social media platfommsand apps allows women the opportunity to cheat on their partners secretlyHowever, regardless of the means, embarking on an affair (or just a fling)fundamentally requires the desire to cheat, the presence of desire.

What if it's in the nature of women of all ages to sleep with someone otherthan their spouse, purely because it's in their nature? Recent researchconducted by scholars studying women's sexuality suggests that this mightindeed be the case.

Over the past decade, three leading figures in the academic world havedelved into what science writer Natalie Angier describes as "layers of compromise and restraint" that hide and distort the true nature of women'ssexual desires, making women strangers to their own sexual selves.

These researchers are Meredith Chivers, a biopsychologist and director of the "Sexuality and Gender Lab" at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Marta Meana, a clinical psychology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and a sociologist from Missouri State University in Springfield, who is an expert in female infidelity, known simply as Walker.

Together, they have explored the external constraints that severely obscure and warp the true face of women's sexual desires, resulting in women becoming estranged from their own sexual desires. Who they are, what drives them, and what they want—the revelations made by these three experts have shaken many of our most deeply held assumptions. Our sexual selves are being reconsidered and re-examined, and perhaps the true nature of women will finally

Dr. Chivers also conducted another experiment in 2014: she first had participants watch sexual films, then asked them to describe their reactions and desires during sex with their partners and masturbation. Notably, Dr. Chivers found that the intensity of desire described by both men and women was essentially the same. "Overall, there's a consensus that there are differences between men and women in terms of sexual desire... (in the field of sexology) that's an unbreakable assumption."

Dr. Chivers mentioned with caution that these findings caused controversy in her field and at conferences. "It's frustrating to hear people repeatedly repeat that men have stronger sexual desires than women as if it were a fact. Perhaps we've been measuring desire incorrectly all along," Dr. Chivers said, noting that other preliminary studies have reached similar conclusions. Dr. Chivers believes that if researchers measured elicited or responsive desire, rather than spontaneous desire, more people would arrive at similar findings. In interviews, Dr. Chivers is graceful and exudes a noble air, not someone you'd expect to drop bombshells. Like Koppe, she maintains a cautious research philosophy when making groundbreaking discoveries. In the field of sexology, as well as nearly every corner of American society, it's still widely believed that men want sex more than women, and testosterone and androgens are the main drivers of sexual impulse. Dr. Chivers pointed out: "People love to cling to their assumed facts, but that doesn't make them true." For her, everything comes back to science.

During interviews, Dr. Chivers emphasized that women might not necessarily want their sexual fantasies to become reality or seek out things that arouse them. However, if her research could help remove stigma and help people understand that women also have a wide variety of rich sexual fantasies and possess strong desires, she would be deeply honored. Dr. Chivers hopes her research "allows women to enjoy this inner playground," helping other women understand that their true experiences are neither right nor wrong, such as identifying as heterosexual but enjoying sleeping with other women. Dr. Chivers asked with a smile during an interview: "The women who come to me ask, 'Do you mean to say, I'm not weird, nothing's wrong with me?' I reply, 'No, you're just a woman.'"

Dr. Chivers pointed out that women, monogamy, and the concept of one-on-one relationships in a broader sense, are not actually the focus of her research. However, she believes that just as certain sexual preferences have become destigmatized over the past few decades, with practices such as pulling hair, spanking, biting, and using handcuffs during sex becoming almost mainstream today, perhaps a day will come when "non-monogamous relationships agreed upon by all parties" will be accepted, leading to significant social changes that will affect marriage and partnership systems.

Dr. Chivers pondered: "Why do we think, compared to individuals in polyamorous relationships, that the duo should monopolize the market, enjoying all legal protections and benefits? I believe that in the next 20 years, more people will come forward, demanding a broader definition of legal marriage." Dr. Chivers knows that many people strive to maintain one-on-one relationships, and she equally hopes that these individuals receive support, making it clear to everyone that achieving long-term monogamy is not easy and not necessarily "in line with human nature."

Dr. Chivers said: "The idea that humans can build long-term partnerships, from day one to day seven thousand, with both partners maintaining the same level of sexual desire for each other without any decrease, is implausible and does not fit any known psychological model. We know that humans gradually get used to each other over time." Dr. Chivers shook her head, "I guess, building a true one-on-one relationship, where passion remains undiminished for a lifetime, is something only a few can achieve."

Lost in thought, Dr. Chivers acknowledged that people can indeed use porn, fantasies, and other methods as sexual aids. As an expert, she understands what can stimulate women's desires and also knows the true intensity of women's desires. However, from her perspective, monogamy "requires effort!" Having conducted research for many years, Dr. Chivers has proven that women are not as we thought. In many respects, women are not significantly different from men, but even with theoretical and empirical support, acknowledging that women, like men, struggle with monogamy is already considered quite radical.