Study: Women regret past sexual encounters, while men regret not having more of them

But please, don't chalk it up to evolution

Couple in bed
(Image credit: (Courtesy Shutterstock))

There's nothing like the sting of regret felt as we stumble out of a stranger's apartment to the harsh glare of the morning, dressed in the clothes we were wearing 24 hours earlier. But it seems the fairer sex feels that sting quite a bit more, and, supposedly, that side dish of regret accompanying so many sexual liaisons is a product of thousands of years of evolution.

Research done by psychologists at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California-Los Angeles reveal that "men are more likely to regret not seizing the moment for a quick and meaningless tryst, while women are more remorseful about actually jumping into bed for a one-night stand," writes Meg Sullivan at the UCLA Newsroom.

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Emily Shire is chief researcher for The Week magazine. She has written about pop culture, religion, and women and gender issues at publications including Slate, The Forward, and Jewcy.