Women Who 'Convinced' Their Partners To Open Their Relationships Share How That Went For Them

Like most relationships, open relationships are not without their challenges — and rewards.

For some couples, the most terrifying conversation isn’t “Where is this going?” but “What if we didn’t do this the way everyone else does?”

For people who suggest opening a relationship, the motivation is rarely casual curiosity. It often comes at moments of emotional reckoning. Typically it’s brought up when something feels unsustainable, unspoken or untrue in the relationship. And while non-monogamy is often framed as either getting to have “more sex” or a guaranteed disaster, the reality tends to be far more complex.

Unlike swinging, where sex with others is usually limited to parties and purely physical, or polyamory, where people pursue multiple committed relationships, open relationships fall somewhere in between — allowing sexual freedom while keeping a primary partnership intact.

Research shows open relationships aren’t as uncommon as you might think. About 1 in 5 adults has tried some form of non-monogamy, and surveys suggest younger adults are more open to it than older generations. While only a small percentage are currently in open relationships, growing acceptance and less stigma in media might explain why more people are willing to explore them.

Like most relationships, open relationships are not without its challenges — and rewards.

Below, relationship experts and coaches share what really happened when they suggested opening their relationships and what they learned along the way.

‘I thought non-monogamy might save my marriage.’

Clinical sex and relationship expert Courtney Boyer suggested opening her marriage after nearly two decades together.

“On our 17th wedding anniversary, I was the one who suggested opening our marriage,” she said. “I believed it was the only way to save our marriage.”

From the outside, her life appeared stable. “On paper and online, my marriage looked wonderful,” she explains. But internally, she felt “incredibly empty and unfulfilled,” carrying the emotional labor of her family while “slowly disappearing from my own life.”

At the time, an open relationship felt less like a lifestyle shift and more like survival. “I saw........

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