Talking about your sexual history with a new partner can make for an uncomfortable few minutes.

Many fear their 'magic number' is too high and that it will set alarm bells ringing.

Now a survey has revealed what both men and women think is the 'ideal' number of sexual partners - and it is more than you might expect.

The study by IllicitEncounters.com, a dating website for married people, found both sexes agreed that 12 was the perfect number of lovers to have had.

Asked why a dozen partners was perfect, both sexes said it showed someone was 'sexually adventurous, liberal and transient'.

Meanwhile someone who has had fewer than 10 partners is 'too conservative' and 'sexually inexperienced', according to the research.

On the other end of the scale, both men and women agreed that anything above 19 partners is a red flag, as they would consider the person to be 'too selfish', 'difficult to please' or 'too eager to jump from partner to partner'.

However there was disagreement between the sexes over how important it is to know a partner's 'magic number'.

Just 45 per cent of women said they would want to know how many people their partner had slept with, while 53 per cent of men would want to ask the question.

Christian Grant, spokesman for IllicitEncounters.com, said: 'Men are a little more self-conscious when it comes to competition.

'They want to be seen as the biggest and best; whether that stems from genuinely wanting to satisfy their partner or to massage their own ego is another matter entirely.

'Women on the other hand, they're just happy to enjoy the moment, past experiences aside.'

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