Think your man won't cheat?

Not a week goes by without another celeb getting caught with his pants down.

They've been sexting, hands up Vernon Kay; having affairs with their best mate's girlfriend, step forward John Terry; and cheating on their wives just after they've given birth, that would be you Mark Owen.

With this in mind, we decided to quiz men and women about being unfaithful. And our survey reveals that it's not just celebs who have cheatin' hearts. Infidelity is rife across the UK. Shocked? You will be.

A third of men admitted to cheating, and one in four girls confessed to being the 'other woman'. Meanwhile, seven per cent of the husbands surveyed said they were cheating on their wives right now.

There has been a significant rise in the number of people cheating. Why? Because there have never been more opportunities, and technology means it's easier to get away with it.

Plus, men and women are preserving their looks for longer. Gone are the days when being a 40-something meant you were past it. Cosmetic surgery and Viagra mean we can look good, and have good sex, whatever our age.

Have you ever cheated?  Visit our blog and tell us your story.

"Infidelity is definitely on the rise," confirms relationship psychologist Susan Quilliam. "These days, we all have increased, often unrealistic, expectations of what a relationship should be like. We want a Hollywood-style romance with a perfect partner and life-long excitement.

"When our relationship becomes mundane, or a partner starts showing their age, we feel we have the right to look elsewhere."

The difference between men and women is staggering. Men still view sex and love separately. One in five married men don't consider monogamy to be realistic, compared to one in eight women, and shockingly 20 per cent of the men we questioned said sex with a prostitute didn't count as cheating. Not a view shared by us girls!

This, Susan says, is down to the difference between how men and women are wired.

"Men see prostitution as no more than a financial transaction. To them it's a service without any emotional connection," she says. "They can keep the feelings they have for their wife or partner separate."

The reasons people stray are varied, but often come back to the same thing. "The classic example is a man cheating after the birth of a baby because he wants sex and he's not getting it from his partner," says Susan.

"Or a woman might be unfaithful because the romance has disappeared from her marriage. Often, the cheater doesn't want to end the relationship, they just want to replace that missing element."

Many agree, with 75 per cent of those surveyed stating the main reason for cheating is boredom, and 60 per cent saying it's to make you feel more attractive.

"He was just a lot better looking than my fiancé," one woman confessed.

With 13 per cent of men aged 25-29 finding their mistress on Facebook, websites have marked a significant change in the way we conduct affairs.

"Traditionally, affairs were more organic. You might develop a friendship with someone you see regularly, like a colleague or friend's partner, and that might turn into a relationship," says Susan. "Now, you decide you're bored and want to have an affair first, then select someone to have it with."

So with Toni Terry welcoming straying husband John back with open arms on a Dubai beach earlier this year, are affairs now acceptable?

While 67 per cent of men and 58 per cent of women believe a relationship can survive infidelity, Susan doesn't believe attitudes to cheating will change.

"For some women, if they feel emotionally loved, they can separate that from their partner having sex with someone else," she says. "But it's rare that a couple can maintain a relationship like that."

As Vernon Kay's sexting scandal proved, in 2010 we're past the point where sex alone is classed as infidelity. Nearly two-thirds of people think flirty texts are cause for concern.

"Cyber relationships are intense," Susan explains. "Because of this, we view any emotional connection as infidelity."

And technology isn't just making affairs easier to conduct, it's increasing the chance of getting caught. Fourteen per cent used texts or emails to catch out a partner.

London firm Spycatcher reported a 20 per cent increase in sales of technical love-cheat kits - chips that can read deleted texts, emails and even a car tracker.

Of course, some of you found out the traditional way: "I came across a receipt for an engagement ring I never received," one of you told us.

But what do you do with your evidence? Even if you do confront your partner, many of you are willing to forgive - men more so than women, with nearly half saying they could get over a partner's infidelity, compared to just 35 per cent of women.

"If you love someone enough, you learn to forgive them," one man said.

But if you can forgive, it seems you'll always have doubts. A massive 83 per cent of you believe the old saying: "Once a cheat, always a cheat."

And Susan agrees: "Once you've been unfaithful and you either get away with it or you're forgiven, it's easier to do it again. And the thrill of illicit sex keeps you repeating the pattern, like Tiger Woods."

But Susan believes it's important to keep perspective. "For every person who cheats there are thousands more who won't," she says. "Don't let an obsession with infidelity ruin a relationship."

Survey results show the following:-

·         1 in 3 men have had affairs

·         A quarter of women have had sex with married men

·         1 in 5 married me don't consider monogamy realistic

·         1 in 3 women who cheat do so with a colleague

·         20% of men don't think sex with a prostitute is cheating

·         75% of people cheat because of boredom

·         13% of men found their mistresses on Facebook

·         60% of people cheat to feel more attractive

·         14% of women aged 18 - 24 have fallen pregnant during an affair

·         25% of women admitted to being a mistress

·         7% of married men are cheating right now

Source:  News of the World Magazine