Em & Lo get personal this week, asking New Yorkers if they'll reveal their magic number.; Impertinent Questions; sex partners; sex; daily bedpost; Magic Number; em & lo; Em & Lo get personal this week, asking New Yorkers if they'll reveal their magic number.


35 Comments

CBT said:

Many women are dishonest about how many sex partners they have had. They tell you how many boyfriends they have had!! Whatever number we submit; any guy who cares to know should add 5 to that number, and if they are over 30 add 10!!

Deb said:

Honestly... I have had 3.... so no adding 5 for me... I married at 22 and had only 1 prior to him... now separated and well do the math...lol
Every one in the word doesnt sleep with everyone they meet.....

jade said:

I totally agree w/ deb. I, too, myself who has been married for 15yrs and now separated for a few months, had only slept w/ 2 men besides my ex to be (total of 3 so far). I'm 34yrs and no adding 5 for me either.

Maya said:

Ok, so lets talk to someone under the age of 30 and who hasn't been married for a lifetime. Yes, please add 5 to mine. I'll leave it at that.

MARY said:

IM OVER 50 AND HAD ONLY 3 SO NO ADDING FIVE HERE

Tee said:

Well lets put it this way I'm in my mid 20's never been married and it has been a lot of fun so 6 boyfriends and 2 mistakes later I'm being honest with myself and probably a vast population of gurls my age will admit to a little fun. Now I'm in a serious relationship which I hope to grow into and possibly marry. So my number is 8.

Stef said:

Well I'm 21 and I am still in the process of "Sewing up my wild oats" or however the saying goes. I lost my virginity when I was 14 and I have had only two serious relationships and many, "friends". I would be lying if I said I could count them all on one/two hand(s). When I sit and think about how many I have actually had I come up with 19, give or take a few. Sad to say but true.

Mike said:

I'm 54 and if I'm going to have sex with someone they better be special enough to remember. Of course, being male... my memory is prone to embellish anything sexual. (smile). Therefore, I've compiled a (cheat sheet) list of their names.

The count is around 75 (does this make me a male slut?) with 70 in the last 10 years.

I had no idea how 'attractive' a man with tools is to a divorced woman with a house! And the woman always gets the house!

Now, when I want to attract a woman, I just wear my tool belt when I go out. And to really seal the deal, I just spell a few big words and form a few complete sentences.

la chula said:

i honestly have had 3 boyfriends and i slept with them all and slept with four other guys besides those 3 boyfriends that i had. So in total i have slept with 7 guys and i am currently dating my fourth boyfriend and i have not slept with him and we have been together for four months and well we just want to wait further into our relationship to sleep together.

Jill said:

I don't think people alter their number unless they don't like how it sounds and that probably has more to do with self-consciousness and ideas about what a partner wants to hear than generalities among the different sexes. For instance, while a guy might add more to his number to look cool for his friends, if he's trying to sleep with a girl who's all about the low number, he might lower it when she asks. It's good to be aware that if you put out strong signals that you want a partner's number to be high or low, it's more likely they'll lie to make things sound better.

Candy said:

I am 44 yr old and have slept with 75 plus add 10 and maybe 10 more. Married twice. Raped at 13. So maybe I have had a lot of partners I always practiced safe sex (except for the rape of course). Realized I was looking for love through sex. Never had a great relationship with mom, dad was a child support check. I have been married now 20 years to a great guy, he has been my one and only for the past twenty. I contribute our successful marriage and my not cheating on him to my past. I have "been there and done that". I have not had a fantasy that had not been fufilled. So with that I have been able to devote myself to him and not wonder what it would be like to be with someone else. I know it sounds awful, but I have a lot of friends in marriages and relationships that have cheated because they had never been with but one or two guys and wanted a change of venue. So now they have ruined lives and relationships just to find out "What's it like out there" I was lucky I did practice safe sex and I am clean. But I tell my younger friends, enjoy your young life be careful very careful double bag to make sure but please enjoy a healthy sex life and variety before you settle down then that way you never wonder or have regrets. I know many will disagree, but I have been married now for 20 yrs when most people only stay married for less than 5yr.

denise said:

im 16 years old and ive had 21 partners...DONT JUDGE ME

said:

Six. All VERY lousy. Six, and I'm 30. They didn't so much care about my satisfaction, and I was too naive to tell them what I wanted, not that they'd give it to me anyway. I am talking to a guy online who, I hope, will be a more attentive lover. But ya never know right? He has helped me be more "attentive" to myself...I've had sex but am still a novice. I read Cosmo and have my own toys so that the next time, with the right guy, will be spectacular. Did I mention, only six at the age of 30?

K said:

I've had 8. Two in the last year. I am divorced and a girl has to have fun too, right? Seriously, its 8 and no need to add 5 to that.

Amber said:

I don't think it's anyone's business who you have slept with prior to meeting them. If your significant other respects you, he will also respect your right to privacy. However, I am under 30 and unmarried so you can add five to mine too.

ana said:

Im 18. I've had 7 partners. I have a boyfriend now but the other 6 weren't. I lost my virginity only days after i turned 18. . I don't regret a sinlge thing. I'm very happy where I am and I couldn't ask for a more respecting, caring and loving boyfriend. I've learned so much with him. When he asked me out of curiosity how many partners I've had, I was completely honest with him and told him 7. He lied at first, lowering his number. I guess he was afraid in a way because he didnt want me to judge him or change how i looked at him. But it didnt. I love him just the way he is. I respect his privacy 100% just like I expect him to ALWAYS respect mine.

anonymous said:

22...one partner, an ex-boyfriend.

daria said:

I'm 24 and and had no intercourse yet. I'm waiting for someone who really deserves it.

C. said:

I think if the person really loves you it should not matter.. i am under 30 and was a little wild in college so honestly i dont know what "my number" is.... i have been married for about two and a half years and my husband didnt question when i told him i really didnt know..

Loyal said:

I'm 26 and single. My number is 5. Not only am I a great girl, I am also "hot." I am extremely picky on who I sleep with.

said:

female, 29 and 4 - some people have slept with a lot, but most people I know (and I live in NYC and know a lot of attractive, creative other 20-somethings) have had ten or fewer. Don't believe the hype!

periwinkle said:

'm 33 now but i only had 2 lovers including my husband now. the 1st one was a big mistake. i should have waited for my husband 2come along.

dolly said:

I've been with 18 men. I have been married twice and I am 25 years old. I can say that there have been only 4 who cared enough to make sure I was enjoying it. I don't beat myself up over my number. My husband has had nearly as many partners as I have. I guess my one regret is the whole STD thing. When I was growing up, I always had safe sex, but nobody knew too much about HPV. I have it, and it is a virus I will have for life. And, hey, mine may or may not cause cancer some day. I got the Guardasil shot last year, and things already seem to be improving, health-wise. Do yourself a favor and get this shot. They say about 80% of all sexually active women will come into contact with the virus. Why take a chance??

Jim said:

I'm 29 and I've only had 1...my exwife...we've been divorced for 3 yrs. now. It's just too intimate to pass it out to anyone who shows interest.

Gods Girl said:

I'm a 23 year old virgin and I'm waiting for my husband. To me...I've always wanted to give myself as a gift to my husband. My "enchantment" is just too beautiful and sacred to give to anybody who isn't worthy. I'm not bashing anyone's decisions but I think it's disgusting to throw around your body. Does anyone care about themselves these days?

moira said:

i am almost 30 and i've been with 61 men and 3 women. there are a few that i'm not so proud of, but overall i have no regrets. i have also had 3 serious boyfriends who i have loved with everything that i have. in fact, i am marrying the 3rd this year :) there is a big difference between sharing your body, and sharing your heart and it is important to recognize this difference. a lover can assume many roles in one's life. what my college flings and 1 night-stands got from me is pale in comparison to the way i give myself to my current partner. not to mention, since i have "been there, done that" and left little to the imagination, i do not and will not have a wondering eye, and this helps me to remain happily faithful to my lover. while i realize that sharing oneself with multiple partners is not for everyone, it's unfortunate to judge others by something so arbitrary as how many sexual partners they've had. aside from men with strong spiritual values, that are themselves holding out for marriage, the only men that seek out virginal ladies, are the ones that are super INSECURE!!! so the moral of the story is: be respectful of other people's choices. you don't have to approve of them, b/c they aren't your decisions to make. there is way too much atrocity going on in this world to waste time and energy disapproving of someone else's consensual sex life.

Kay Kay said:

I'm 17 years old... I've only slept with one guy...we have been together for 2 years now. I think I've found my one and only. But I would like to add a girl in for a little fun!!! Please don't add 5 to my number because I'm being 100% honest.

Amy said:

Im 32 and have slept with 35 men, 5 major boyfriends. I don't think of myself as a slut as many of my friends are around the same number and sometimes its easier to find a good lay than a good boyfriend.

said:

I just turned 31. I have lived a 'colorful' life! I've enjoyed every partner I've been with and regret very few of them. I have given birth to 3 very beautiful and wonderful boys.(all 3 different fathers). I have no desire to COUNT the men I have been with! I loved all of them in different ways, and that's good enough for me. But I do agree that living your life and having the 'been there, done that' attitude does lead to a more fulfilling and commited relationship. I like who I am today and I thank all of the men I have been with for helping me learn about myself. I would not be ME if it were not for the experiences I have had. And, although there is not a specific NUMBER that comes to mind, MANY thanks go out.

Cat said:

hiya! so, my first reaction was to say "19", but I thought about it for a bit and realized it's actually 23. Not ashamed or anything like that, but my answer with a microphone in my face would have been 19, so I'm going along with the theory of "add 5" for those of us under thirty. I'm 24 now, married almost two years. And no, there's no one else but him. :)

Karma said:

I wonder how many women are being honest? When I was younger I looked at sex the same way most men do, it's fun and it feels good so why not? Before I met the man I married I was with about... 100 - 120 men.. at a guess. Since my marriage and divorce I've been with about.. maybe 15 men over the last 20 years. I'm not embarrassed by my numbers but I'm certainly not sharing them with my boyfriend I have now :)

Jasmine said:

im 18 and ive had 1
no adding 5 here

hank said:

I started young and rodeo wild. 11 before I was 13 and 2 of them related by blood.Then 46 more during HS =but college was 135 not counting fuzzy memories. I woke up in 1965 to marry my wonderfull HS sweetheart/wife.we've been seperated twice so two more added, but the last one could not get me hard enough for intercourse.
I belive in safety for everyone, harm none No harm done.

Laura said:

Im a 35yr old married/yet separated woman.i lost my virginity at 18.had approx.12 partners the next year and a half .met my current husband and was very faithfull for many years... 6 years into the marriage he started accusing me of cheating on him.we separated and my head count(no pun intended) grew another 15-25. till i found THE ONE!I AM COMPLETELY SATISFIED..NO ONE COULD TOP. AND AM IN LOVE. So..what is my final? ill just say if u wanna add.-get a life.

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Em & Lo, more formally known as Emma Taylor and Lorelei Sharkey, are the self-proclaimed Emily Posts of the modern bedroom.

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