Are Doctors Promiscuous? The Truth Behind the Stereotype!

It is true that a lot of people, especially ladies, think that male doctors are the most promiscuous men on the planet. I have even come across female medical colleagues who also believe that their male counterparts are promiscuous. And in my opinion, these may not be so far from the truth, but how factual is this assumption?

I am a male medical doctor who has experienced this stereotype on several occasions while discharging my duty as a young practitioner. I have even overheard, sometimes openly, heard older nurses telling their younger colleagues to stay away from me and my likes, but I often just joke it off when I hear it openly. At the end of the working hours, we go our separate ways, and I often don’t even have time for any extra activities outside work.

But when I hear people say that doctors are promiscuous (referring mainly to male doctors), something kicks in my logical mind. Could this be a fact or just a stereotype? I try to find concrete evidence regarding this argument, especially because I have both seen promiscuous male doctors and faithful ones in varying proportions.

I also question whether there is any significant difference between promiscuity among male doctors versus other members of the male community. These questions not only pique my curiosity but also offer hope that my kind (male doctors) would get some justice from societal stereotypes against us. But what does the truth say?

First, let’s see what promiscuity is about.

What is Promiscuity

Before we answer the question of whether doctors are promiscuous or not, let’s briefly define the contexts of what promiscuity means.

According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, promiscuity in the context of sexual relations refers to having or involving many sexual partners, i.e, not restricted to one sexual partner or a few sexual partners.

Thus, promiscuity could be used in the context of unfaithfulness, both when married and unmarried. Let’s try to keep this understanding in mind as we find out more about promiscuity in medical doctors in this post.

Statistics of Male Infidelity

While of course, the title broadly questions if all doctors are promiscuous, the general assumptions point to male doctors being more promiscuous than expected. Most people who get into this argument never bother to compare male doctors’ promiscuity to that of other men outside the medical profession, possibly because they already assume a different standard for the medical profession.

From a 1999 survey, 75% of men admitted to cheating in some way at some point in a relationship; 25% of married men admitted to having had at least one extra-marital affair, while 15% of married women admitted to doing the same.^[1]Wiederman, M. W., & Hurd, C. (1999). Extradyadic Involvement during Dating. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16(2), 265-274. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407599162008

In another study, 74% of men and 68% of women admitted they could cheat in a relationship if they knew they would never be caught, with 57% of men and 54% of women admitting to committing infidelity in a previous relationship.^[2]Infidelity: The Cold Hard Truth About Cheating – LAIntelligence

In support of the general belief, infidelity rates seem to be higher among males than females, as the statistics suggest. But how do we narrow this down to medical doctors? See below.

A more recent study on infidelity rates among medical doctors and nurses showed that 21% of all the respondents either have or have had an unfaithful relationship. Among these, the majority were doctors, and men were 4.3 times more unfaithful than women.^[3]Guerrero S, Castro-Luna G, Zapata Boluda R, Freites A, García R, Parrón-Carreño T. Incidence and Related Factors of Infidelity among Medical Doctors and Nurses. Int J Environ Res Public Health. … Continue reading

Also, compared to all medical workers who worked during the day, those who worked nighttime emergencies were more likely to be unfaithful (60%), with part-time workers having the lowest infidelity rate of 9.3%^[4]Ibid., Guerrero, et al., Int J Environ Res Public Health

But wait a minute, a similar survey on contrasting professions showed that 51% of attorneys reported being part of an office romance, and 75% of energy sector employees have gotten frisky with a co-worker. This is just to mention a few of the many professions we could talk about here.^[5]Love and Law: 51% of Lawyers Polled Have Had an Office Affair – Career Advice – Vault

The above findings show that medical doctors may be even less promiscuous than most other professionals in other fields. But while this is denying the fact that some medical doctors are pathologically promiscuous, why is this stereotype about them as though they are the most promiscuous ever?

Why Medical Doctors Are Seen as Too Promiscuous

The title of this post is about promiscuity in medical doctors in general, but we all agree that the emphasis is more on male medical doctors. And of course is not just about whether or not doctors are promiscuous or not, but that they may be too promiscuous.

There are several reasons why society might think that male doctors are too promiscuous, even though they may not be as promiscuous as men in several other professions. Following a series of studies, I came up with the following reasons that might explain why doctors might be seen as too promiscuous.

1. Higher Standards

There seems to be a higher standard set for doctors by society, and it stands to reason. Doctors are highly respected in society. They are also expected to be more knowledgeable about the dangers of having multiple sexual partners. This, therefore, means that even if they are less or equally as promiscuous as other men, the high standards set by them can explain why this stereotype still abounds.

Are Doctors Promiscuous?

To answer the question, “Are doctors promiscuous?“, I believe we have all the facts we need now. And of course, some doctors are promiscuous, as shown in the statistics above. Factors like extreme stress in the profession and a desire to relieve stress, occasional deprivation of quality with wife and family, as well as working night shifts, can possibly increase a medical doctor’s chances of promiscuity.

However, not all doctors are promiscuous, similarly with men in other professions. It is always fallacious to generalize for every individual in any class of people. Saying that doctors are promiscuous means you are generalizing that all doctors are promiscuous, which is, in reality, not the case.

Some doctors are faithful to their partners, and some are promiscuous. And to even compare to men outside the profession, doctors may even be less promiscuous.

So, it might be right to stop this stereotype that “doctors are promiscuous” to “some doctors are promiscuous”. But even if the stereotype abides still, there are plausible reasons why people will always see doctors are being promiscuous or more promiscuous than other people.

How About Promiscuity Among Female Medical Doctors?

When promiscuity is discussed about medical doctors, the radar points more to male medical doctors. But how about female medical doctors? Are they promiscuous too?

From the statistics and my experience as a medical doctor, female medical doctors are less promiscuous than their male counterparts. They are more faithful in relationships or marriage. Only a small proportion of female medical doctors may consider such activities, a proportion small enough to conclude that female medical doctors are not promiscuous.

Of course, female medical doctors get married faster than their male colleagues, further reducing their chances of promiscuity, as women are generally more faithful in relationships than men.

Final words

To generalize that medical doctors are promiscuous could be considered an error of over-generalization. This is because there may not be a significant difference between promiscuity among male doctors versus what you find among men in other professions.

There are significant risks for promiscuity among medical doctors and similar professionals, but there are even some reasons why you might consider them less promiscuous than other men.