According to WebMD, the “in love” stage of an affair lasts 6 to 18 months, on average. And around 75% of the marriages that start as affairs end in divorce. Considering only 5 to 7% of affair relationships lead to marriage, thats a grim statistic for couples hoping their affairs will last forever.

Do relationships that start with cheating last?

Well, maybe you shouldnt have, because a new study found that relationships formed by cheating dont last. Three separate studies that looked into mate poaching, or stealing someone elses partner, found that couples made this way have more challenging relationships than couples formed without cheating.

Do relationships that start as affairs ever work?

Yes, in rare cases some affairs last a lifetime. But even those rare cases are relationships that are built off of an affair. Thats no way to start off on a relationship. Plus, the chances of one of those people having an affair on someone else is just as great, if not greater.