Misconception 1: Polyamory is just a polite way of saying you cheat on your S.O.

Polyamorists pride themselves on honest, open communication, so all parties know the deal from the start and there's no cheating or going behind anyone's back involved. Which, yes, could lead to some awkward conversations, but they're necessary…

Misconception 2: Poly couples belong in the '60s – along with hippies, free love and bra-burning.

Non-monagomous relationships are actually on the rise. OKCupid even added a polyamory function to their site earlier this year, with 42% of their users declaring they'd be open to dating someone in a non-monogamous relationship.

Misconception 3: Polyamorsists spend all their free time picking from a bowl of car-keys...

While many polyamorous couples do engage in some, ahem, passionate flings with other poly individuals, couples or groups, sex is really a minor part of most polyamorous relationships. Polyamorists are mostly concerned with building loving and intimate relationships – in which sex plays an important, but not central, part. No nightly orgies, then…

Misconception 4: Polyamorists must be loaded with STIs.

Polyamory often equates to a better awareness of sexual safety, while supposedly 'monogamous' people are less likely to wear a condom when cheating and highly unlikely to confess to their other half. Seriously, over 75% of cheaters surveyed by The Journal of Sexual Medicine hadn't told their partner. Nice.

Misconception 5: Polyamory is a kind of kinky fetish.

You might expect a polyamorist gathering to be full of leather-mask-wearing, whip-brandishing freaks. You'd feel pretty silly when you arrive to see it;s actually just a bunch of perfectly normal, friendly people having a drink – not a scary sex toy in sight.

Misconception 6: Polyamorists are only going through a phase – no one really lives their whole life like this, do they?

Actually, many polyamorists are married, and even have children together, with their other partners forming part of a new kind of not-so-nuclear family. Colour-coded Google calendars (yes, seriously) and lots of pre-planning help keep a busy family schedule under control. Perks include (but are not limited to): free babysitting, actual adult conversations and other much needed parental support. It takes a village…

Misconception 7: Polyamorists have a special super-power which stops them from ever getting jealous or feeling insecure.

They wish. Polyamorists get every bit as jealous as you or me – especially when a new partner is added to the mix. The solution? More awkward conversations, of course. Honestly communicating with their partner for reassurance and clarity is the only way forward, and one the rest of us might want to take on as well. In time, the jealousy – termed a 'wibble' in the poly-vocabulary (they have their own language) – goes away.

Misconception 8: Greediness, or loneliness, is the reason anyone decides to have non-monogamous relationships.

Firstly, a person can identify as polyamorist without actually being with multiple partners – or even with any partner at all. "Partners aren't just your fulfillment vessels", poly singer Blythe Pepino says. "Polyamory isn't the answer to the fear of being lonely."

Misconception 9: You know everything about polyamory.

Most polyamorists go against stereotypes, building lasting, meaningful relationships with two, three, or more people. Polyamory is also an umbrella term for a whole range of associated lifestyle choices – every polyamorous person, couple and situation is unique, in the same way that your relationship is different from your mum and dad's. At least, we hope it is.

To read more on polyamory, grab yourself a copy of the July issue of Cosmopolitan, on sale now.

Like this? Come and check us out on Snapchat Discover.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io