## Casual Sex

#### Casual sex is generally associated with normal levels of well-being. However, in certain instances, it may be harmful. Certain attitudess towards sexuality tend to moderate the negative psychological effects that may occur in younger individuals.

*   [Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Eisenber](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20444178)<span style="text-decoration:underline;">g et al. [09](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20444178) </span>
    *   20% of reported recent sexual encounters were casual in nature
    *   Casual partnerships were more common among men than among women (29% vs. 14%)
    *   The study found **no significant differences** in the **psychological wellbeing** of those who engaged in casual sex versus those who engaged in sex with a more serious partner, **regardless of gender**
    *   _“Young adults who engage in casual sexual encounters do not appear to be at greater risk for harmful psychological outcomes than sexually active young adults in more committed relationships.”_
*   [Bersamin et al. 2014](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2013.772088#.VXIOpFxVhBc) [(non-paywall)](https://sci-hub.se/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2013.772088)
    *   NEGATIVE EFFECTS on COLLEGE STUDENTS
    *   This study focuses on a younger demographic: only **college students 18 to 25**
    *   A greater proportion of men (18.6%) than women (7.4%) reported having casual sex in the past month
    *   For emerging-adult college students, engaging in casual sex may elevate risk for **negative psychological outcomes**
*   [Vrangalova and Ong 14](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550614537308) [(non-paywall)](https://sci-hub.se/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550614537308)
    *   MODERATING NEGATIVE EFFECTS - a response to the perceived harms endured by younger demographics
    *   Defferenciates between **attitudes** towards casual sex
    *   The study found that **sociosexuality**, “a stable personality orientation toward casual sex,” **moderated the effect** of casual sex on well-being
    *   The study found that after having casual sex, **sociosexually unrestricted** students (those who were generally interested in and eager to have casual sex) typically reported **improvements in psychological wellbeing** afterward, while the psychological wellbeing of sociosexually restricted students was **generally unaffected**.
*   [Vrangalova 15](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24496788)
    *   A study examining the **differences in motivations** for casual sex
    *   Differentiates between **autonomous and non-autonomous** motivations
        *   Autonomous reasons:
            *   the subject was highly attracted to the other person
            *   The subject wanted to experiment and explore their sexuality
            *   The subject felt this would be a valuable learning experience
        *   Non-autonomous reasons:
            *   the subject was drunk
            *   the subject was hoping it would be more than just a casual encounter
            *   the subject was seeking revenge on an ex
    *   People having casual sex for **autonomous reasons** were for the most part **unaffected** by this activity
    *   In contrast, those who engaged in casual sex for **non-autonomous reasons** typically experienced a **decrease** in psychological wellbeing
