Watch Strangers on the Street Discuss the Benefits of Keeping Backup Boyfriends and Girlfriends

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been in a relationship but kept texting or G-chatting with someone else in a flirty way…you know, just as a contingency plan. This phenomenon of having a “backburner” is actually pretty common, says intimacy expert Laura Doyle, author of First, Kill All The Marriage Counselors. But don’t take her word for it—watch men and women talk about their side pieces:

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Okay, based on our admittedly small sample size, it looks like the ladies are a bit more likely to keep someone on the side than the guys…or perhaps they’re just more honest about it.

For more info on the different types of backburners, pick up the September issue of Women’s Health, on newsstands now.