When it comes to sex before marriage, a lot may be better than a little.

New research suggests that women who had exactly two sexual partners (their husbands and one other person) were more likely to divorce than those who had either just one partner or many more. This was true, at least, during the 1980s and 1990s.

Though it’s not clear why exactly, the researcher speculated that women who had exactly two sexual partners were more apt to compare their husband to a past lover.

“In short: If you’re going to have comparisons to your husband, it’s best to have more than one,” study author Nicholas Wolfinger, a professor in the University of Utah Department of Family and Consumer Studies and an adjunct professor in the university’s Department of Sociology, said in a statement.