The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Sex is a pretty taboo subject, especially when it comes to a person's sexual history. I'd like to believe no sober, common sense individual would ever walk up to a complete stranger and say, "Hi, my name is Bob Shitzferbrains. So how many sexual partners have you had?" When a couple of individuals become interested in one another and are curious to move the relationship forward, however, it seems all but inevitable the topic will get broached. While such a conversation can prove to be more awkward than getting caught masturbating by Sister Mary Clarence, as sex, communication, and trust are all key ingredients to a happy and healthy long-term relationship, it may also be vitally important. So what is the "magic number," so to speak, when it comes to sexual partners? Is there such a thing? Would a number which is too high or too low lead a certain percentage of people to bolt before things got too serious? As is typical, it depends on the person. While some...