I tend to agree, monogamists and swingers both want to believe their marriage philosophy makes for a better or stronger marriage. If you think about it, it’s the mantra of the swinging community, “swingers divorce less often”. Unfortunately, the research simply isn’t available to back up that statement. The small amount of research done has been through the lens of current, active swingers, so of course the data will Trend that direction, but it isn’t an accurate sample. Most unhappy or divorced swingers aren’t hanging around swingers forums or other places swingers gather, thus, the data is skewed.
I’ve been around the lifestyle long enough to see the good and the bad, one does not outweigh the other. I have a decent amount of swinger friends that won’t divorce and put on a good front when out with other swingers, but home life is anywhere from disconnected to disfunctional to toxic, but they swing to have sex. People stay married for all kinds of reasons, and it isn’t always due to happiness and openness, even swingers.
I don’t push the swinger narratives of swingers are happier and divorce less, or swingers have fewer STIs, because I’ve not seen any evidence of it. It’s a risk, and I’m willing to take it, but I could end up being one of the, not so rare, couples that one partner leaves for the swing playmate, it happens. Cheating happens in all kinds of marriages, even swinger marriages.