Expert reveals six main reasons why women cheat in relationships

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A dating guru has detailed six key reasons why she believes women are likely to cheat on their partners — and some may catch you seriously off guard.

Infidelity — the act or state of being unfaithful to your spouse, partner, or exclusive sexual partner — can have a devastating impact on both parties. Not only do some cheaters end up harboring feelings of intense guilt and remorse, but their actions could cause the innocent member of the partnership to experience a bout of low self-esteem and suffer a significant loss of trust.

Yet if you’re a woman who chooses to cheat, you may be doing it for a multitude of complex reasons, says relationship expert Tracey Cox. She recently stated in The Daily Mail that six core motivations often cause women to two-time their partners, and that “some might just surprise you.”

These include being neglected by an emotionally absent partner, seeking an escape from responsibilities, and satisfying a craving for sexual fulfillment.

Emotional Neglect

Emotional neglect involves a partner or spouse “consistently failing to notice, attend to and/or respond in a timely manner” to their S.O.’s feelings. This inattentiveness can stem from hectic lifestyles, societal expectations, or shifting focus from the relationship to a stressful career move.

Unfortunately, emotional neglect is extremely difficult to identify, because the partner is ironically doing “nothing wrong.” Clear warning signs include repeated procrastination with plans, feeling chronically alone, and a persistent lack of clarity about what your partner wants and expects from the relationship.

Cox claims that women experiencing a broken emotional connection are more likely to stray. She also stresses that maintaining the bond with your “one” is “crucial” for a happy life. If you are suffering from emotional neglect, working with a couples therapist can help address the root causes of the drift.

Vengeance

If you’ve been wronged in the past, you may want to get back at your partner, says the relationship expert. “It’s not just about evening the score: it’s about reclaiming a sense of agency and dignity in a relationship where we feel wronged,” Cox explained. “It might not be the most sensible course of action, but the urge to hurt our partner the same way we’ve been hurt is hard to resist.”

Cox’s observation is supported by a 2026 study published by Kayla Knopp in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

In the scientific paper titled “Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater? Serial Infidelity Across Subsequent Relationships,” researchers found that someone is three times more likely to cheat if they have committed infidelity in the past.

“Regardless of whether you are the perpetrator of the infidelity or whether your partner was, those experiences are substantially more likely to repeat themselves,” Knopp says, as per the University of Denver. “However, there are lots of people who break those patterns. I don’t want to suggest that it’s someone’s fault that someone is cheating on them, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that we all play a role in our relationships.”

A Struggle for Power

A power imbalance — whether in money, status, or age — can damage even long-standing relationships. According to Cox, women who feel second best to their partners sometimes seek control through an extramarital affair.

“In relationships marked by emotional or psychological imbalances, having an affair is a way of reclaiming a sense of control,” she wrote. “It’s particularly common when a partner is overly dominant or controlling. If you’re too scared to confront directly, doing something sneaky behind their back to make yourself feel better is the next best thing.”

Emily Heard, a marriage and family therapist in Menlo Park, California, advises addressing power dynamics openly: “Name your vulnerability, and trust your partner cares enough about you to honor it. If you know your partner has a trauma history from a previous relationship, help them to feel supported,” she told Psych Central. “If you feel that shame is arising around your appearance and body image, be vulnerable and honest with your partner about it. Trust that they love you and will not use it against you.”

Sexual Dissatisfaction

As per a study published in the National Institutes of Health, 15.2–50.4 percent of women report dissatisfaction with their sexual activity. Cox notes that this appetite for better sex is prompting more women to look outside their relationships.

“If you’re not getting good and regular sex at home, you’re more likely to get it elsewhere,” she stated. “Sex might be fourth on the list of motivators for women in the study, but we’re still susceptible to being seduced if sex with our partner is boring and dull.”

A Need for Independence

Failing to carve out personal time can place enormous strain on monogamous relationships, Cox warns. Between household chores, work deadlines, parental duties, social commitments, and fitness routines, many women simply need space to reconnect with themselves.

While some choose the spa for solo rejuvenation, others turn to secret encounters. “The constant stress of juggling career, motherhood, and other responsibilities leaves many women feeling unappreciated and overwhelmed,” Cox writes. “‘It’s something that’s just for me’ is a statement therapists hear a lot from women forced to justify why they stepped outside their marriage.”

Boredom

Saying “I do” remains a dream for many, with more than two million women tying the knot in 2026, according to Bowling Green State University. Yet two decades later, some discover the spark has faded. According to Cox, that is when infidelity can occur.

“Nearly eight per cent of women said they’d cheated simply because they were bored; another five per cent said they did it because they wanted novelty,” she stated. “Monogamy might offer security and companionship, but humans desensitise rapidly and even in good relationships there are periods where life seems, well, monotonous.”

If your relationship feels stagnant, there are many constructive ways to combat boredom before turning elsewhere — from attending sports clubs together to embracing change or traveling the world.

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