source-library/sex/casual_sex.md

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: Eisenberg et al. 09
  • 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 (non-paywall)
  • 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 (non-paywall)
  • 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
  • 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