Monogamy and matchmaking might be ready for a re-design

The Current25:00Relationships by design, rethinking monogamy - March 26, 2015

Monogamy remains sacred ... even as divorce rates soar. Our series "By Design" is asking about the longevity of intimacy and primary relationships and whether the time has come to redesign our relationships, in order to save them.

Relationships are one of the most fundamental ways we design our lives by day and by night. 

A Toronto-based company promising singles a more sophisticated way to find their match.... using science and DNA "matching." Sara Seabrooke is the co-founder of Instant Chemistry and its Chief Science Officer. 

• Daniel Davis has studied the role genetics plays when it comes to romantic compatibility. He's a Professor of Immunology at the University of Manchester and author of The Compatibility Gene. When writing the book, he actually took a compatibility test with his wife.
• For another take on this, we spoke with Arthur Schafer. He's Director of The Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba. And he's skeptical about the potential of genetic match-making.
   

Well, if all goes well with the snuggling and sniffing, the next big design challenge may be maintaining a satisfying long-term relationship.

We still live in a culture that idolizes marriage and monogamy... but many couples struggle to keep their monogamous relationships vital. And with people living longer than ever, the idea of only having sex with one person for five or six decades can be daunting. Meanwhile, our culturally accepted ideas about sex and sexuality have undergone a seismic shift when it comes to many other issues.

Dan Savage says it's time to rethink - and possibly re-design - monogamy for the 21st century. He writes an internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column called Savage Love. And he is the host of a podcast called the Savage Lovecast.

Robin Rinaldi became something of an expert in non-monogamy after her own year-long experiment with open marriage. She and her husband re-designed their relationship to include weekends "off." Rinaldi rented an apartment for her free weekends and posted an ad seeking sexual partners. She wrote about her experiences in her book, The Wild Oats Project: One Woman's Midlife Quest for Passion at Any Cost.  

Let us know about designs, good and bad, that make a difference in your life. Tweet us @TheCurrentCBC. E-mail us through our website. Find us on Facebook.