More than one-quarter of New York men have been unfaithful - double the infidelity rate of Big Apple women, a new report reveals. A poll conducted for New York magazine showed that 28 percent of Gotham men - who are either married or in a committed relationship - have strayed from their partners, compared to 12 percent of girlfriends and wives. Women are more afraid of getting caught than men, according to the poll. While 30 percent of men said they'd still cheat even if their affairs might be revealed, only 12 percent of women said they'd stray under the threat of being caught. The magazine's poll and accompanying story were sparked by the prostitution scandal that drove ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer from office. The survey, conducted by Global Strategy Group, polled 401 New Yorkers in all five boroughs. The margin of error was 4.9 percent. Asked if they'd forgive a cheating partner, men and women were equally apt to issue marital pardons - men would forgive at a 53 percent clip, women at 48 percent. New Yorkers are not really eager to find out if their partners are scoring on the side, according to the poll. Only 14 percent said they've checked their partner's e-mail, 6 percent reported they've followed a suspected cheating heart, and just 1 percent admitted to hiring a private eye. Meanwhile, the notorious seven-year itch is providing a temptation to scratch for more and more married couples, a relationship and sex author told the magazine. "Marriage can be very satisfying, but it's not going to be this heady romance for 40 years," said Susan Squire, author of the upcoming historical look at marriage, "I Don't." "Marriage has many benefits and values, but eroticism is not one of them." Despite the desire of many men to stray, lifting society's puritanical barrier against extramarital affairs might not be the best answer, either. "We understand that infidelity is a great source of stress and conflict and causes a lot of marriages to break up when discovered," University of Texas psychology Professor David Buss, a frequent author on issues of sex in society, told the mag. "It causes a great deal of anguish. The Jimmy Carter model might be better: Lust in their hearts."

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