We’ve all heard of the dreaded ‘seven year itch’ when it comes to marriage, but according to some new research today, most cheaters are ready to break their marriage vows long before seven years have passed.

According to a survey conducted by adult website maritalaffair.ie, more than half of male and female cheaters had been married for less than seven years before they thought about straying on their partner.

The results of the survey revealed that the average female love cheat is likely to be in her 40s, have no third-level qualification and earn less than €25,000 a year. In comparison, cheating men are most likely to possess a college degree, earn between €25,000 - €37,000 a year and be in his late 40s.

And if you thought having children would be likely to dissuade you or your partner from cheating, think again as the survey sadly revealed that 37 per cent of women who were doing the dirty behind their husband have back had at least two children. Meanwhile, for men it didn’t matter if they had children or not.

Seven years? Unlikely! Most cheaters take less time to think about having affairs

So why do people cheat then? There are lots of reasons apparently. Some of the most common excuses were being the carer of a sick spouse, seeking revenge because their partner had cheated and simply wanting to bump uglies with someone who was different.

However the biggest excuse from both sexes was a lack of intimacy at home, with 75 per cent of women and 78 per cent of men ranking this as the reason why they were visiting the extra-marital website in the first place.

It’s the age old question ladies, but how would you reacting if you found out your man was being unfaithful to you?