Another relationship bites the dust. I just can’t figure it out. There’s nothing wrong with him — in fact, there are many wonderful things about him. But at a time like this, when I should reflect on what happened, all I know is that I’m a stereotypical, insensitive, self-centered, philandering … woman?

We see it in Lifetime movies, and we hear it in country songs. We know men cheat, but the wandering eye is no longer unique to males. More and more women are losing serious relationships and picking up men’s worst habit.

As a young woman, it’s acceptable for me to be single. But if I spend all my time basking in the greatness of the single life, what happens when I jump into the depths of commitment? Anxiety. Dishonesty. Confusion.

Does this mean that I’m destined to cheat or be single? If not, then how and when do I stop checking out my neighbor’s nice grass on the other side of the fence? Inevitably, a relationship will eventually lose its newness, and when it does, a stranger will surely be waiting to give you some “newness” of his own.

I’m not the only one facing this dilemma. Although the statistics vary, the conservative estimate is that 25 percent of women are unfaithful to their husbands. One 1997 Ball State University survey determined that young women are equally as likely to cheat as men. Some speculate that because more women are entering the workplace, their chance of meeting a new lover increases. Makes sense. But that doesn’t mean we should give up the briefcase and go back to baking; we want equal job opportunities, equal treatment and equal pay. And now we want a mate for every mood.

Maybe it’s not women’s fault. I mean, an hour of television or a trip to the mall is proof that we can’t escape sex; it’s constantly shoved in our faces by the media and our day-to-day interactions. As if that’s not enough, it’s just so damned easy. It’s a wonder that women didn’t catch on to cheating sooner, considering that everywhere we go, words, touches and glances are telling us that we can have it.

And as men will be the first to tell you, it’s hard to say “no” — especially when “no” has deep blue eyes, luscious lips and a perfectly sculpted body. But if we have the opportunity for sex everywhere and only have an average of 14.3 partners in a lifetime (was that .3 as good for you as it was for me?), then we’ve obviously mastered saying “no.”

According to research by clinical psychologist Dr. Joyce Hamilton Berry, men cheat when they meet an attractive female who is receptive to them, while women’s reasons for cheating are emotionally derived — they feel neglected emotionally or sexually and search for attention elsewhere. This wasn’t the case for me, however; I had the emotional and sexual attention I wanted, and maybe more. Anyway, it’s a cop out to blame men, media or easy access, because none of them are decent excuses for cheating on a loving, sadly unaware individual.

So if I can’t blame the media, who can I blame? Dr. Pat Love, author of “The Truth about Love,” says: “Monogamy has never been about our inclinations. It’s not the nature of our species.” The majority of animal species are not monogamous, because nature molds us to procreate — to meet, mate and move on.

But do I really want to comfort myself with the habits of animals? Shouldn’t I be better than that?

What separates us from chimps are our minds, and using them is what’s required to stay faithful. It isn’t easy, but maybe it’s not supposed to be–that’s what proves love. You stick with it when you could be humping someone else. Los Angeles relationship therapist Ronn Elmore concedes that “deprivation in a society that says ‘if it feels good, do it’ is tough.” To be faithful, I have to say no to something I am pretty darned sure will feel good.

I’ve asked a lot of questions and I don’t have a lot of answers — mainly because the answers are going to be different for everyone. My answer right now is to be single. This is a time in my life where a little self-centeredness is necessary for self-discovery. At some point, though, I’m going to have to figure out how to a put someone else’s needs first.