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Pan American experiences
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When an emotional bond breaks, desire often seeks refuge elsewhere. Image by Sunrise/Pixabay.
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LATIN AMERICA ------------------------------------------1232[TRAVEL+STYLE] UNFAITHFUL REALITIES | |||
Female Infidelity in Latin America: Emotional or Something More?Exploring Motives, Gender Differences, and Cultural Realities in Romantic RelationshipsBy Estefanía Muriel for Ruta Pantera on 1/30/2026 1:20:55 PM |
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| Can a furtive glance, a hidden message, or a deep connection with another person be as devastating as a physical encounter? In the intimate, unfiltered conversations of women on forums like Reddit, as well as in the available scientific evidence, a complex story about female infidelity emerges, one that challenges gender stereotypes and invites us to rethink what “being unfaithful” means today in Latin America.
From the beginning of a relationship, many people assume that infidelity is a physical act: sex with someone other than their partner. However, for many women who have been unfaithful or have reflected on the issue, betrayal is often more subtle, more emotional, and sometimes even more painful. In a Reddit thread where women share their uncensored experiences, many accounts agree that before a physical act, there is usually an emotional distancing: “When a woman is unfaithful, it’s usually not just physical… she’s unfaithful with her mind first,” writes one user, describing a pattern that several women have confirmed in their personal testimonies. Emotional vs. Physical Infidelity? Traditional statistics suggest that men are slightly more likely to commit infidelity than women: in some global studies, as Luxwisp indicated, around 20% of men admit to having been unfaithful compared to about 13% of women. However, this gap appears to be narrowing, especially among young people and in contexts where women have greater economic and social independence. The distinction between emotional and sexual infidelity has been the subject of numerous psychological studies. Traditionally, evolutionary theory has suggested that men tend to react more intensely to sexual infidelity, while women experience greater distress from emotional infidelity—that is, when there is a deep emotional connection with another person beyond sex. In a study by Miller and Maner (2009) on jealousy reactions, they found patterns consistent with these differences, although these are not absolute and are nuanced by cultural and personal factors. In Latin America, where traditional norms about gender and relationships remain strong, these patterns have particular expressions. Many women interviewed in local studies explain that female infidelity is often motivated by feelings of emotional abandonment, lack of communication, or dissatisfaction in their primary relationship. According to Infobae, in a survey in Colombia, a significant proportion of women stated that they resort to extramarital affairs because they feel emotionally neglected or bored in their primary relationship. Furthermore, according to data collected in Latin America, around 60% of women consider actions such as flirting on social media —without physical contact— to be a real form of emotional infidelity, a perception that is not always shared by men. Underlying Causes and Personal Experiences When analyzing why some women emotionally distance themselves from their partners, cultural and relational factors emerge. In many Latin American contexts, women assume disproportionate roles as emotional caregivers and conflict mediators, which can generate resentment and emotional exhaustion within the relationship. This emotional depletion—not necessarily linked to a lack of love—can, for some, become an external search for connection, validation, or recognition. |
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Female infidelity doesn***t always begin in the bedroom; often it begins in silence. Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash. |
The testimonies on Reddit reflect this phenomenon with stark honesty: many women describe their infidelity not as an impulsive act of desire, but as the result of weeks or months of emotional distance. Such accounts challenge the simplistic notion that women "cheat for emotions" without nuance; rather, they point to a complex response to unmet needs within the relationship.
Comparison with Male Infidelity Although men tend to be more associated with physical infidelity—often explained by social reasons, access to more extramarital opportunities, or gender norms that normalize male promiscuity—research suggests that both men and women can be unfaithful for a mix of emotional and sexual reasons. In fact, according to information published by Couples Academy, relationship conflicts and a lack of satisfaction—both emotional and sexual—are among the most common causes of infidelity in men and women alike. The cultural narrative that portrays women as “more emotional” has been challenged by science: recent studies shared by Verywell Mind indicate that emotional differences between men and women are neither innate nor mutually exclusive, but rather the product of social norms and gender expectations that shape how we express and manage our emotions. This implies that emotional infidelity in women is not an essential gender trait, but a contextual response to the dynamics of the relationship. When Understanding Hurts, but Transforms Infidelity in women, as in men, is a multifaceted phenomenon that cannot be reduced to a single cause or to gender stereotypes. In the Latin American context, it takes on cultural nuances that reflect tensions between traditional expectations and modern realities of autonomy, affection, and connection. Understanding these nuances not only helps us better understand human relationships but also invites us to build healthier bonds based on open communication, emotional equity, and mutual respect. If we want to contribute to improving the quality of relationships in Latin America, perhaps we should start by questioning simplistic narratives and listening with empathy to the stories our partners tell us—and tell us about themselves—without prejudice or condemnation. |
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References: Brides Editorial Team. (2023). What percentage of men cheat? Brides. https://www.brides.com/what-percentage-of-men-cheat-5114527 Colombia.com. (2023). Most Latin women believe their partner has been unfaithful on social media . https://www.colombia.com/vida-y-estilo/mujer/la-mayoria-de-mujeres-latinas-creen-que-su-pareja-ha-sido-infiel-en-redes-400166 Couples Academy. (2023). Infidelity statistics: Cheating facts and trends . https://couplesacademy.org/infidelity-statistics/ El País. (2025, October 6). Partner, but also personal assistant and therapist: what is “mankeeping” and why does it frustrate women so much ? https://elpais.com/smoda/bienestar/2025-10-06/pareja-pero-tambien-asistente-personal-y-terapeuta-que-es-el-mankeeping-y-por-que-frustra-tanto-a-las-mujeres.html Infobae. (September 3, 2022). Study indicates that Colombian women are more unfaithful: these are the reasons . https://www.infobae.com/america/colombia/2022/09/03/estudio-senala-que-las-mujeres-colombianas-son-mas-infieles-estos-son-los-motivos/ Luxwisp. (2024). Statistics about infidelity . https://www.luxwisp.com/statistics-about-infidelity/ Reddit. (2025). That's why when a woman cheats it's much worse than when a man does [Forum post]. r/PsicologiaES. https://www.reddit.com/r/PsicologiaES/comments/1oq31b7/por_eso_cuando_una_mujer_enga%C3%B1a_es_mucho_peor_que/ ScienceDaily. (2015, October 8). Men and women react differently to emotional and sexual infidelity . https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151008083755.htm Sciencedirect. (2008). Sex differences in jealousy: Evolutionary psychology perspective . Personality and Individual Differences, 45 (7), 614–618. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019188690800384X The New York Times. (2025, July 28). What is “mankeeping,” the emotional labor that wears women down? https://www.nytimes.com/es/2025/07/28/espanol/que-es-el-mankeeping-trabajo-emocional.html Verywell Mind. (2023). Women are not more emotional than men, study finds . https://www.verywellmind.com/women-are-not-more-emotional-than-men-study-finds-5207762 Wapa.pe. (November 12, 2024). Who is more unfaithful: men or women? Find out according to artificial intelligence . https://wapa.pe/estilo-de-vida/2024/11/12/quien-es-infiel-hombres-mujeres-descubrelo-segun-inteligencia-artificial-174804 |
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