Over the past few years, the number of wives cheating on their husbands has risen dramatically. Current studies show that 35 to 40% of all wives cheat on husbands while the percentage of husbands cheating on wives is between 40 and 50%. This only shows that women, just as men, are also susceptible to having an affair. However, as female infidelity becomes more widespread, many unsuspecting husbands are still left in the dark about the wives’ extramarital affair. If a husband isn’t familiar with telltale signs of a cheating wife, by the time he finds out, it’s already too late.

Women don’t become cheaters overnight. If you suspect she is having an affair, it could be for a number of reasons. Here are some of the most-significant-but-often-ignored reasons why women cheat. One of the major reasons of marital conflict these days is money. Financial security is very important to a woman. There are monthly bills to pay, the mortgage, cost of the children, school, groceries. The list of expenses piles up every month and stretching the budget is becoming tiresome. Another man offering her a more luxurious life where money is no object and she could spend as much as she want might be a temptation she’ll find hard to resist.

Men and women have a lot of differences which could cause conflict in a relationship. Men place great importance in their careers and in achieving something. They are easily devastated with failures and financial setbacks. On the other hand, women place greater importance on love, communication, beauty and relationships. A husband sometimes forgets that his wife is a woman, who craves and needs special attention. When men are preoccupied with work and money, women interpret it as rejection. So she becomes vulnerable, and can be attracted to somebody who showers her with more attention, who makes her feel special and cherished.

Sometimes a wife may feel that she is being treated like an old shoe. Marriage has gone stale and boring even inside the bedroom. Communication has gone out of the window. Women feel good about themselves by talking, sharing and relating. Being intimate does not necessarily involve sex. When these needs are not fulfilled, a wife may look for physical satisfaction outside the home. Couples can become so caught up in everyday routine that they forget to nurture their marriage. Spending the weekend together, away from work and the kids, can rekindle the fire in the relationship. Even the most solid marriage needs a little upkeep every once in a while to keep it from becoming stagnant.

A woman may do it for love. She may do it for sex. Or to feel beautiful and boost her self-esteem. Gone are the days when an unfaithful wife is a rarity. If more husbands knew how to tell if their wife is cheating, more marriages could be saved. After all, the first step to solving a problem is to know and recognize that the problem exists. Ultimately, the best way to protect a marriage is to be familiar with these seemingly insignificant reasons so that the wife won’t have to look anywhere else.