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When it comes to bedpost notches, are women still judged more harshly than men?
* In a recent interview, Spin City star Charlie Sheen estimated that he's had sex with approximately 5,000 women. Conventional wisdom says that if a woman admitted to as much carnal activity, she would likely be criticized for being promiscuous, yet Sheen's comment hardly raised an eyebrow. So we asked Cosmo readers, is there still a double standard when it comes to how many sexual partners a woman should have?
standards are skewed: 84% WOMEN 66% MEN
YES: females catch more flak
"Although we all know there shouldn't be a difference, there is. And it's because men hate to think that anyone else has been sleeping with their women. Even if they ask about your experience, they really don't want to know. That's why I believe you should always have a don't-ask, don't-tell policy about sex partners."
Danielle, 20
"Our language reflects the double standard--a promiscuous man is sowing wild oats or playing the field while a woman is described as loose, easy, or a tramp. Until we stop using words that reinforce a gender prejudice--and women who are swingers or players can be seen in a positive light--nothing will change."
Source: HighBeam Research, Can your sexual history haunt you?(sexism in public perception of...