According to relationship experts, men should avoid asking women to reveal their body counts because it’s stigmatizing and judgmental.
A body count is the number of lifetime sexual partners one woman has had. The subject of body counts is raging on TikTok and Twitter/X.
Some men are very promiscuous, but they expect women to be virtuous and pure. If her body count is low she is considered more high value to men.
According to Psychology Today, body count bias “reflects a deeper societal issue: women are still disproportionately judged and stigmatized for their sexual histories, facing emotional repercussions for the same behaviors that men are often celebrated for.”
While some Americans are highly promiscuous, other cultures practice abstinence and wait until marriage to have sex. A UK-based study found that British women, on average, had 7 partners in their lifetime and men had 6.4 partners.
Compare that to women in New York who average 35 partners in their lifetime. Women in Louisiana reported a lifetime body count average of 15.7 partners.
While some say asking women for their body counts is disrespectful and demoralizing, others say a man should ask a woman for her body count for health reasons.
“We can’t ignore the fact that STDs and unwanted pregnancies are legitimate concerns for anyone who is sexually active or even considering it,” writes HerCampus.com.
“Instead of connotating “body counts” with shame and judgement, we can link it to practicing responsible sex. It is important to keep track of your sexual partners. That way, if you do contract a sexually transmitted disease or infection, you can inform your previous partners so that they can also get tested.”
