What Is a Threesome?
A threesome — also known as a trio or ménage à trois (French for a household of three) — is a sexual act in which three people engage in explicit sexual behavior with each other simultaneously.
Participants in a threesome can be any combination of genders, sexes, and sexualities. You may, however, come across the terms MMF (referring to two men and one woman) or FFM (referring to two women and one man) when you research threesomes.
The specific sexual acts during the threesome are unique to each situation. Every trio determines its own rules and boundaries according to the participants' desires and levels of personal comfort.
Relationships That Might Lead to Threesomes
Talking about sexual behavior can sometimes be tricky if the terminology is unclear. While a sexual term might have a particular meaning for you, it could have an entirely different meaning for your potential sexual partner. The following terms refer to lifestyles that might involve threesomes. Understanding these terms is the first step to knowing how most threesomes occur.
- Swinging. Refers to sexual partners (married or not) who like to have sex with other couples and singles. This could be in the form of group sex, but it may also involve threesomes.
- Polyamory. A lifestyle in which you, your partner, or both may be sexually and intimately involved with others. This differs from monogamy, where both partners agree to be intimate only with each other.
- Open Marriage or Relationship. In an open marriage or relationship, the two spouses or partners are allowed to have sex with someone other than their spouse.
- Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM). Refers to a range of relational and sexual practices where people have more than one sexual partner, and each sexual partner is explicitly aware of the others.
What Do People Think About Threesomes?
The desire for a threesome is typically stronger among men — about 95% of men and 87% of women have fantasized about having a threesome. Most men report that threesomes are their number-one sexual fantasy. Still, a very small percentage of people follow through with their desire for a threesome. A recent study indicates that only 10% of women and 18% of men have experienced a threesome firsthand.