Polyfidelity

The Oneida Commune of the mid-19th century practiced complex marriage, encouraging individual members in the freedom to have multiple ongoing sexual relationships within the community, as an expression of their beliefs and religious faith.

[5] The word "polyamorous" first appeared in an article by Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, "A Bouquet of Lovers", published in May 1990 in Green Egg magazine, as "poly-amorous".

A commonly cited advantage of polyfidelity is the ability to have unprotected sex among more than two people while maintaining relative safety regarding STDs, so long as any new members are sufficiently tested before fluid bonding with the group, and keep their commitments.

As many polyfidelitous people have transitioned directly from closed monogamy, they can encounter problems in learning to communicate intimately with more than one partner.

People hoping to create or expand a group marriage mention difficulty finding potential partners with enough mutual compatibility to even consider attempting a relationship.

Polyfidelity, like other forms of consensual non-monogamy, can present the challenge of managing jealousy,[8] maintaining clear communication, and ensuring equitable distribution of emotional and practical responsibilities.