In the United States, the best guess — and that’s all it is because research is so sparse — is that somewhere between 2 and 10 percent of married couples have done something that could be called swinging. Two percent seems the more reliable figure. … And that’s the first thing you need to know about swinging.

Do couples actually swing?

Swinging is not for everyone. … Most couples who start to swing are already in a happy relationship and are just wanting an enhancement. And the vast majority of both men and women report an increase of happiness and satisfaction in their relationship after they start swinging.

Is swinging addictive?

Behavioral scientists are divided about the effect that swinging can have on a couple. Los Angeles Psychiatrist L. James Grold says that it can become a troublesome addiction, but that for some people it is “a pleasurable sharing experience.” Bartell doubts that swinging really benefits anyone much.