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"Polyamory is just one form of consensual non-monogamy

You might picture a romantic relationship as two people committed exclusively to one another — also known as monogamy.

Consensual non-monogamy, on the other hand, involves relationships with more than one person, with the consent of everyone involved.

Polyamory is just one of the ways to practice consensual non-monogamy. You may have also heard of other forms, like open relationships and swinging.

It isn’t the same thing as cheating

So, are polyamorous people “cheating” on their partners? Nope. But this is a common misconception.

Cheating includes deception and betrayal, like if you and your partner have agreed not to have sex with other people, but your partner breaks that promise.

The difference between cheating and polyamory is that people who are polyamorous have shared agreements about sex and relationships with other people. It doesn’t mean you’re unable or uninterested in commitment

People aren’t polyamorous because they’re unhappy about committing to a relationship.

In fact, one research study showed no difference in relationship satisfaction between people who are monogamous or consensually non-monogamous.

Commitment for monogamous people can mean expressing love by putting time, trust, and respect for shared agreements into a relationship with another person.

Commitment for a polyamorous relationship could mean the same — just with a different set of agreements.

And it doesn’t mean you’re down for group sex

If having threesomes all the time sounds exhausting to you, then you should know that plenty of polyamorous people would agree with you.

While polyamory can include sexual relationships with more than one person, it’s not about having sex with multiple people at the same time.

For example, a woman might have sexual relationships with two different men, but enjoy sex with only one of them at a time.

It simply means…

Polyamory is defined as practicing or being open to intimate relationships with more than one person.

Dating as a polyamorous person means you’re not looking for just one person to share a romantic or sexual connection with.

Trust

Just like monogamous couples, polyamorous people need to be able to trust one another.

Some ways they might build trust include communicating about new partners, practicing safe sex, and keeping promises.

Communication

While there’s a popular idea that polyamory is all about sex, some polyamorous people joke that it’s more about talking about your feelings than anything else… because it’s kind of true.

Open, honest, and frequent communication is essential for maintaining multiple relationships in a healthy way.

Consent

Of course, you can’t have consensual non-monogamy without consent.

For most people, polyamory isn’t simply a “free for all” to do whatever you want.

Taking on new partners, engaging in new sex acts, and entering new commitments all requires consent for everyone involved.

Mutual respect

If someone considers your feelings unimportant, then a monogamous relationship with them isn’t going to work. The same goes for polyamory.

It isn’t just about respecting your partner’s feelings to be with someone else. Respecting other people — including your partners’ partners — is key."

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