Does Cheating Affect A Relationship?

It always does. Even people that say that they have an open relationship and they can see/have sex with other people it still affects the relationship. It's just the selfish nature in us that when we deeply care for someone or love them that we want the same feelings returned to us and we want them to belong only to us.

I feel that serious relationships are defined by the fact that the two individuals are agreeing to eachother and to everyone around them that they are choosing to stick with each other, not have sex with other people, etc etc. All relationships, even casual ones, end up leading to questions and confusion in this area.

Cheating affects relationships.

I disagree.  Cheating definitely affects a relationship.  It destroys trust.  Even if the partner doesn't find out, you know, and since you cheat, you probably believe that your partner can also.

Cheating destroys relationships.  It doesnt just hurt the person that got cheated on, but it can also lead to hurting the person who cheated in the first place.  This is because the cheater might get rejected by their bf/gf and also by the person they cheated on their bf/gf with.  Not sure if this is making sense or not but more than one person is likely to get hurt.  I've been cheated on so many times and now am finding it very difficult to trust my new boyfriend even though we are getting there and he knows how hard I'm finding it.  It destroyed all my past relationships, even when I thought they could never do that to me.  It hurts.  Hope this helps, take care xxx

I think it depends on the person and whether he/she's conscious will bother them.

Cheating greatly affects relationships. Not only that, but it destroys relationships. Cheating ruins the trust that is key to any relationship.

Well dear definitely relationship gets affected when your bf/ gf cheats you cause that shows that how cheap that person can be that could not share the truth with you .Believe it happened with me I loved a guy like anything he was more precious to me than my life but what did I get at the end (I came to know that he got married with his previous gf ) and let me tell you that now when I am telling you this it does not hurt me anymore cause I have gone thru the pain just a month back and when I realised that the person who does not care about my tears then why shud I ,I stopped thinking about him and I am happy now to realise this that it was grt that I got cheated cause only because I got cheated I got to know this guy and I did not fall into his bad trap so what I can suggest to you is that instead of going ahead and asking him/her as to why he/she did that to you just move ahead in your life believe me there is sum1 waiting just for you who can keep you happy not only with his/her love but also loyalty /trust and understanding :)

Most definitely. The most important part of a relationship is trust, honor and respect.

Of course it affects a real relationship because the trust factor is shot all to hel@ and that is the relationship, I have been true to you and you found the need to cheat on me, how can I trust you again after that?