>Being monogamous with a cheating partner is...not so great at it. Their tolerance for risky behavior is obviously high, and they're already showing a lack of care for any consequences by stepping out.
That's not a case of real monogamy. We could call it "attempted monogamy" maybe. Cheating partners often want to keep their original relationships intact and as such don't take extreme risks. They probably aren't sleeping with other people as often as a poly person would, and the type of person they sleep with is likely less promiscuous than a poly person.
It seems pretty clear to me that STD risks are lower for those in nominally monogamous relationships, even if there is always some risk of cheating. Redefining the cheating as acceptable behavior (that is, redefining the relationship as poly) is not solving any STD problems. It might if you absolutely cannot trust your partner to be remotely monogamous, but you do want to stay with them, and you do trust them to tell you who they're sleeping with, AND you can effectively use that information to reduce your own risks. For me, I just don't want to be with someone who does not think I'm enough.
That's not a case of real monogamy. We could call it "attempted monogamy" maybe. Cheating partners often want to keep their original relationships intact and as such don't take extreme risks. They probably aren't sleeping with other people as often as a poly person would, and the type of person they sleep with is likely less promiscuous than a poly person.
It seems pretty clear to me that STD risks are lower for those in nominally monogamous relationships, even if there is always some risk of cheating. Redefining the cheating as acceptable behavior (that is, redefining the relationship as poly) is not solving any STD problems. It might if you absolutely cannot trust your partner to be remotely monogamous, but you do want to stay with them, and you do trust them to tell you who they're sleeping with, AND you can effectively use that information to reduce your own risks. For me, I just don't want to be with someone who does not think I'm enough.