Conjugal commitment in marriage is traditionally characterized by three main factors: procreativity, exclusivity , and permanence. Individuals who are not able to give consent to these three are basically considered unfit to enter into marriage. The moral obligation of spouses to each other arises from the premise that they have agreed to conduct themselves accordingly.
Spouses are expected to procreate and are therefore equally expected to participate in the sexual act which is necessary to produce children. That is why the physical inability to engage in it with the spouse can be a valid reason to seek divorce. The inability however, to produce offsprings due to some physical problem is an entirely different thing. Many childless couples face the truth of not ever having a child together. A good number has weathered the setback by continuously loving each other in spite of it but others traveled the path of unfaithfulness to produce children.
This is where the two other factors come in. Does exclusivity and permanence cease to matter when couples find themselves confronted with a problem? Does moral obligation evaporate when it is no longer convenient to honor it?
Marriage is a contract. Every contract has its own stipulations which the contracting parties are expected to follow. Marital fidelity is one of the commitments made by a couple entering into marriage. In the legal aspect, abiding by this commitment ensures social order. Cheating spouses are made answerable one way or the other for their action by legal remedies that can be resorted to by cheated spouses.
There are no clear-cut rules that will make cheaters accountable for reneging on moral obligations pertaining to fidelity except in specific areas where religious or customary restrictions are widely observed. Divorce issues will usually concentrate on the material aspect such as support and division of properties. This is probably because no one can force anyone to honor a moral obligation by continuously giving the promised love when it no longer exists.
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