I think one of the biggest reasons why male cheating rates aren't even higher is because the average man has far fewer opportunities to cheat than the average woman. The average woman receives far more sexual attention than the average man. This is obvious from dating apps, where women receive substantially more matches and messages, but it also extends into real life. Women are approached far more often, while men are expected to initiate and compete for attention.

This means many men simply aren't exposed to the same level of temptation. People often mistake a lack of opportunity for loyalty. If someone rarely has the chance to cheat, their faithfulness tells us less than someone who regularly has attractive alternatives and still says no.

Research has repeatedly found that opportunity is one of the strongest predictors of infidelity. The more access people have to willing alternatives, the more likely cheating becomes. If that's true, then comparing male and female cheating rates without accounting for the huge difference in opportunity is misleading.

I'm not arguing that every man would cheat. I'm arguing that if the average man had the same abundance of willing sexual partners as the average woman, male cheating rates would almost certainly be significantly higher than they are today.