How many of you baws currently practice Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM)?

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Monogamy may seem like the default setting for a healthy relationship—after all, once you've found "The One," why would you want to be with anybody else? But new research shows it's not a requirement for relationship and sexual satisfaction, two key indicators of wellbeing that can substantially contribute to quality of life. In fact, people who practice ethical non-monogamy "are likely to experience equal levels of relationship and sexual satisfaction" as those who practice monogamy, according to a 2025 meta-analysis of 35 different studies.

So, it should come as no surprise that interest in ethical non-monogamy (ENM), also known as consensual non-monogamy (CNM), is on the rise. In fact, 31 percent of American singles have explored ethical non-monogamy, according to the 2024 Match Singles in America report. This is up from roughly 21 percent in 2014, per findings from two national samples of single Americans.

But what exactly is ENM? “Ethical non-monogamy is an umbrella term for any variation of relationship styles that involves romantic or sexual relationships with more than one person that is consented to by those involved,” says Liz Powell, PhD, a licensed psychologist and author of Building Open Relationships.

“Ethical” is in the title for a reason, as it differentiates ethical non-monogamy from cheating on a partner with whom you’ve agreed to be monogamous. “ENM is different from cheating because in ENM, all parties involved should be acting with consent and clearly communicating knowledge of other connections happening,” says Meg Jeske, LPC, a relationship therapist and adjunct instructor at Lewis & Clark’s Graduate School of Education and Counseling.

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Some people feel drawn to forms of consensual non-monogamy as a result of their early dating adventures, and others come to it later in life for a variety of reasons, including:

You'd like the freedom to explore your sexuality and/or different kinks and fetishes.
You have an inclination or desire to love and/or be in relationships with multiple people.
You desire independence.
You and your partner have “a mismatch of sexual desire or identities,” says Jeske. (For example, one person is asexual or graysexual, while the other is more oriented toward sex.)
You're in a long-distance relationship or partnership where one person travels a lot, Jeske says, and you want to explore connections in your immediate area.

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