Myth No. 1: People cheat because they're unhappy at home

If you're female, this is usually the case. Women in long-term marriages who are having affairs report low satisfaction with their marriage. For men, on the other hand, that's not necessarily the case. Many men who love their partners and have great sex at home never turn down an opportunity for a bit on the side if they think they can get away with it. In one study, 56% of cheating men surveyed said their marriages were very happy. Only 34% of unfaithful women agreed.

Myth No. 2: Men cheat much more than women do

This used to be the case, but now the scale is balancing out. Why? Women cheat for the same reasons as men: It's someone new. It's naughty (and therefore nice). However, there are other reasons women cite: The affair was a "reward" for being an unappreciated wife and mother or for putting up with a partner who wasn't affectionate, didn't listen or ignored them. It was an "ego boost." (Gone are the days when we'd treat ourselves to a new lipstick or haircut to cheer ourselves up.) We're still not as biase about affairs as men -- women are more likely to feel guilty -- but given that studies show we're much better at lying, we're also more likely to get away with it.

Myth No. 3: Affairs are mostly about sex

Some affairs are about sex and most certainly include sex because sex with someone else is forbidden, making it very appealing. However, sex is not always the reason people cheat. Affairs are a way for people to get something they're not getting from the relationship they're in -- it's that simple. What's not so simple is defining what it is that's missing. In fact, oftentimes the cheating partner isn't aware of it. Some people are searching for something they lost as a child, others for lost youth. Some people cheat on "perfect" partners because they're sick of perfection. It's not always about sex.

Myth No. 4: If she cheats on you, she doesn't love you

It may feel that way, but it's not necessarily the case. It does, however, mean that your partner doesn't respect you enough to honor the commitment you've made to one another and that he has a different value system than yours. Some people are more than capable of separating sex from love and physically sleeping with someone else doesn't affect their love for you.

Myth No. 5: Sex with an ex isn't cheating because you've been there, done that.

Sleeping with an ex is the sexual slip-up people most commonly expect to get away with. It doesn't feel like you're being unfaithful -- it's not as if it's with someone new who might expect the sex to turn into a relationship -- right? Wrong. Sadly, this is exactly why sex with an ex can have disastrous consequences. 

You might be having a shag for old times' sake, but your ex may be doing it as a desperate bid to rekindle the relationship. So you have to break it off (again) and explain to your current partner why you're suddenly getting e-mails or calls from him after all this time. The chances of getting found out are actually higher than if you'd had sex with a stranger because strangers won't feel the need to write a long, incriminating closure e-mail.

Myth No. 6: You can affair-proof your relationship.

You can lower the chances of an affair in your relationship, but there are never any guarantees. The next best thing? Choose the right partner. Choosing the right person is more important than keeping them happy once you've got them because things like morals, values systems and family backgrounds are much stronger influences on whether someone will cheat (or not).

(source: AskMen.com)