Cheating potential causes male desire for more frequent sex

In my <previous post> I argued that women have evolved some tendency to cheat on their husbands.

It seems likely that this possibility also affects sexual behavior in other ways. Let's suppose that a certain frequency of sex is likely to produce a pregnancy -- let's say every other day. A woman might prefer that frequency. But if evolution has programmed a man to worry that his wife might possibly be sleeping with other men, it's in the man's interest to have sex more often. If another man's sperm might be present, more frequent sex increases the chances he will be the father. In contrast, women might have evolved to prefer less frequent sex with their husbands so that any sexy man she is having a liaison with would have a better chance of fathering her child.

What are the implications for today? Even a happily married woman should not hate herself if she feels some strong sexual attraction to other men, understanding it is part of her evolutionary heritage. If she values honesty with her partner, she would choose not to act on it. Men who discover their wives have had an affair might also reflect that it was part of her heritage to do so and it doesn't mean she does not love him or intended to deceive him.

A feminist theory for the male desire for more frequent sex (on average) including when his partner is not enthusiastic about it might I suppose include his desire to demonstrate his dominance over her. A simpler explanation is his underlying evolutionary desire to make sure he is father of her children. As with all such tendencies, the knowledge that contraception is in place and no children are going to be conceived doesn't affect the underlying tendency. Nor does male desire for frequent sex reflect actual suspicion on his part that his particular wife might cheat on him.

Men seeking to understand why their wives are not so interested in frequent sex might consider the countervailing pressures on them. The average difference in sexual interest might just remain an ongoing point of contention and compromise that does not spring from malleable human culture and will never be resolved by consciousness raising.