ABSTRACT

Every society has its norms and values about sex in marital relationship. Infidelity in marriage is a social issue various society, religion, and age frown at. Married women are known to be chaste and faithful to their marital vows. This practice is gradually waning. This study examined the prevalence and causes of marital infidelity among married women in Enugu North local government area, Enugu State. The study was conducted between November 2017 and May 2018 based on a survey of 400 respondents through the use of multi-stage sampling technique. The information for this study was obtained from the respondents using questionnaires & in-depth interview. The stated research questions formed the basis for data analysis. The data were collated and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software version 20.

The findings, among other things, show that majority of the respondents were aware that married women engage in marital infidelity. 77.6% agreed to sexual infidelity as the most common form of infidelity, and 28.5% agreed to economic support as the major reasons why women engage in infidelity through. Religious opposition and customs were found to have a significant influence on the attitude towards marital infidelity in Enugu North local government area. The researcher therefore suggests a need to educate the people on the health challenges and other problems associated with marital infidelity. This should be accompanied by sanctions for defaulters. Economic empowerment of women would go a long way in discouraging marital infidelity among married women in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.