Casual sex is not a bad thing!
A surprising new study reveals that casual sex may not cause emotional or psychological damage.
Despite the pervasive belief that hooking up casually is detrimental to the well-being of young adults, researchers found that not to be the case in a recent study, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The study asked 1,311 Minnesota-based young adults, between the ages of 18 and 24, about their most recent sexual experiences, their self-esteem and their general well-being after the experience.
Only one-fifth of the subjects said their most recent experience was casual. And overall, their emotional status wasn’t any different from those who said their last sexual experience was with a committed partner.
“We were so surprised,” said Marla Eisenberg, who is an assistant professor at the university School of Public Health.
“The conventional wisdom is that casual sex, ‘friends with benefits,’ and hooking up is hurtful. That’s what we’ve been teaching kids for decades,” she said, adding that abstinence-only sex education programs in particular enforce this notion.
However, researchers said that this doesn’t mean casual sex is for everyone - and Eisenberg is quick to warn of the physical consequences of casual sex. Rates of sexually transmitted diseases continue to increase and teen pregnancy rates in Minnesota in particular are also on the rise, according to the Star Tribune.
Casual Sex Doesn’t Cause Emotional Damage
No additional risk seen for those in uncommitted relationships
Young adults who have casual sex are no more likely than those in committed relationships to experience psychological problems, new research has found.
In the study, University of Minnesota researchers analyzed the responses of 737 females and 574 males, mean age 20.5, who were asked about their sexual behaviors and emotional well-being. Among those who were sexually active, 55 percent said their last sexual partner was an exclusive dating partner. An additional 25 percent said they were engaged to, or a spouse or life partner of their last sexual partner. Another 12 percent said it was a close but not exclusive partner, and 8 percent said it was a casual acquaintance.
More than twice as many males as females said their last sexual partner was a casual acquaintance or a close but not exclusive partner, the study authors noted.
In this study to determine if sexual activity outside a committed relationship causes emotional damage to young people, the researchers found no differences in the mental well-being of participants who had a casual partner or a committed partner.
“While the findings from this study show that young adults engaging in casual sexual encounters do not appear to be at increased risk for harmful psychological outcomes compared to those in more committed relationships, this should not minimize the legitimate threats to physical well-being associated with casual sexual relationships, and the need for such messages in sexuality education programs and other interventions with young adults,” study author Marla E. Eisenberg, of the University of Minnesota Medical School, said in a university news release.
Casual sex and psych 101
Is having “friends with benefits” emotionally damaging?
Nope, says a study from the University of Minnesota. Researchers surveyed 1,311 young adults about their sexual history. The result: Casual encounters are not, as federal abstinence education teaches, likely to mess with your head.
To debunk that myth, the paper also points out that depression often precedes “sexual debut and high-risk sexual behaviors among adolescents,” not the other way around.
Even though casual sex doesn’t necessarily lead to trouble, the phenomenon still seems to be relatively uncommon. Only a fifth of participants said that their most recent partner was a casual partner — either an acquaintance (8.2%) or a close but nonexclusive partner (12.4%).
One last point — while the study did not find any psychological damage, the authors said, “Our findings do not minimize the legitimate threats to physical well-being associated with casual sexual relationships, and the need for preventive messages in sex education programs.” For a resource on sex and dating, check out Sex, Etc., a by-teens-for-teens advice site set up at Rutgers University.
Sources:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com
http://health.usnews.com
http://www.nydailynews.com