Yes, perception. I think the view of some French (in particular) people would be that a sexual outside affair is at worst only "the chips are down" and that the commitment is still there. They would say that Americans view sexlessness as remaining true and committed, while an outside sexual affair is breaking the commitment. Which was my point.
I've personally heard the opinion from a French woman that when she got married, she wouldn't be all that upset if her husband had a brief sexual fling on a business trip, for example, as long as he remained committed and loved her (his wife). I remember thinking, wow, that wouldn't be the prevailing opinion in America, that's for sure.
