Covert Operations: How Some Girls Manipulate Their Number

This piece appeared as part of a series on your "number" - see the rest of the package here.

On the surface, figuring out a sexual “number” seems like a pretty easy calculation — you add up all of the people you’ve had sex with, and the total is your number! But in reality, there can be grey areas and sticky situations that can make that number calculation a more complicated process. Beyond that, some girls actively utilize a variety of tactics to try to make their number lower or higher. Of the 100 girls I surveyed, one-third of them (33 respondents) reported using measures to change their number, keep it the same, or manipulate it into something they found more acceptable. Below is a guide to five of the most popular tactics reported, and stories from girls who’ve used them.

Recycling — i.e., sleeping with the same partners over and over again so the number of partners stays the same

“I have definitely had sex with people I’ve already had sex with — like ex-boyfriends, past hookup buddies, etc. — if I felt like having sex but didn’t want it to count as a new thing.” — Jackie*, a 21-year-old Harvard University alumna

“I’ve gone back and slept with a previous partner after already having been with someone new, just because it was an easy option that didn’t involve increasing my number. I’m comfortable with my number right now but I don’t want it to get much higher, and sleeping with the same people is a good way to keep my number in check.” — Aysha*, a 20-year-old at the University of Michigan 

Misreporting — i.e., lying about your number when asked (often to specific groups of people)

“I’ve slept with 2 people, and while I don’t regret sleeping with the second guy, I definitely don’t tell anybody about it. All of my friends and family think that I’ve only been with one guy.” — Emily*, a 19-year-old at the University of Connecticut

“I’m totally fine with my number (3) when I’m with my Greek friends, and I think it might actually be low compared to some of the girls I hang out with there. But I have a group of more conservative friends and when I talk to them about my sex life, there’s one partner that I leave out. They think my number is 2.” — Janelle*, a 20-year-old at the University of Michigan