It’s easy to make assumptions about people who cheat and the relationships they destroy in the process, but there are a lot of strange facts about cheating that may surprise you. When it comes to infidelity, most partners who have experienced it would agree it’s painful and downright destructive for the relationship. But a Rutgers study found that most cheaters were actually happy in their relationships. Up to 56 percent of men who were unfaithful said they were happy and didn’t want to sever ties with their partner. However, just 34 percent of women said the same. And when women cheat, they do it for entirely different reasons. In fact, a cheating woman may spell doom – more so than a male cheater. When women stray, they tend to do so to fulfill an emotional need. Those who betray their partners simply to fulfill a physical need have a better chance of repairing the relationship, but when partners seek emotional fulfillment elsewhere, it usually means the broken relationship will stay that way.

Women are also more likely to cheat around ovulation time, when they are most fertile. While infidelity seems most damaging when a woman commits it, a man surprisingly may do so to save his relationship. Because men typically have trouble discussing the relationship’s problems, they may stray in an attempt to fix problems. But when it comes down to it, they do feel terrible about cheating on a partner they purport to care about. Another commonality among cheaters is their choice of partner – most know the person with whom they have affairs. They usually don’t come about after a random meeting at a bar, for example. In fact, one survey found that 60 percent of affairs began in the workplace. Finally, if you’re looking for a sign that your partner may be cheating, check out his or her behavior in bed. Many cheaters get more adventurous with their partners as the affair progresses and gets more exciting.