Casual sex: advantages, disadvantages and psychological effects

Traditionally, emotional and sexual relationships have been built around the model of romantic love. However, currently, there are other ways of relating that are increasingly common and accepted. Within what we could call casual sex, there are several forms of relationships.For example, friends with benefits or one-night stands.

Psychology has tried to identify the psychological consequences of casual sex. Studies have mainly focused on its negative effects. For this reason, other groups of researchers have been interested in studying whether casual sex is associated with certain psychological benefits, finding even more robust results to define corollaries in this sense than in the negative one.

However, whether casual sex is more positive or negative seems to depend on certain personal characteristics, such as age, beliefs and values ​​about romantic love or sociosexual disposition. This disposition refers to the tendency to carry out sexual practices without commitment and is determined by sociocultural factors, past experiences and personal attitudes.

Advantages of casual sex

In a study published in the International Journal of Sexual Health, more than 200 women were asked about the benefits of casual sex. 71% indicated that this form of sexual relationship has at least one benefit. Among these, the most reported were the obtaining sexual pleasure and positive emotions that this brings them.

In addition to those more obvious benefits, other studies with samples composed of men and women of various sexual orientations have found a longer list. Some of them are the following:

Fun. In relation to sexual pleasure, many people find casual sex a way to have fun, to live new and varied experiences.Experimentation and self-knowledge. Casual sex has also been considered an opportunity to experiment sexually, discover new pleasures, and explore what aspects of sex are enjoyed more or less.Get closer to other people. By not having a commitment, casual sex allows you to relate, mainly sexually, with a greater variety of people. Furthermore, many people indicate that this allows them to begin to become intimate with that person, eventually being able to generate a closer relationship.Privacy. Contrary to what many think, casual relationships also generate moments of intimacy where affectionate gestures appear. For example, one study found that sleeping together or cuddling occurs with the same frequency in casual sex as in more romantic relationships.Lack of commitment. By definition, casual sex implies a relationship in which commitment and exclusivity have no place. Among those who have casual sex, this is perceived as an important benefit, as it allows sexual and emotional needs to be met without embarking on a committed relationship.

Disadvantages

Finding more advantages or disadvantages to casual sex It will depend on the point of view of each person, their past experiences or the moment in life. where you are. Also, as indicated above, there are various forms of casual sex. Friends with benefits – more friends, or more sex -, one-night stands or booty calls (sporadic and specific relationship to have sex with just a call).

Thus, depending on these aspects and the type of relationship you have, the inconveniences that may arise will also vary. In general, among them are the following:

A possible regret for having had sex with a person or for how the act developed, since being a way of experimenting, unpleasant experiences may occur.sexual dissatisfaction. A degree of trust, intimacy and stability is missing in casual sex. This can mean that, by not knowing the other person well and knowing what they both like, the sexual relationship is not completely satisfactory. Therefore, whatever the type of relationship, you must always communicate. The lack of explicit rules can lead to misunderstandings or internal conflicts that trigger negative emotions in one or all of those involved.Feelings of loneliness. Not having a more continuous or strengthened relationship, on some occasions, or with some people, can lead to feeling alone. To miss the specific support or affection of a partner or, simply, to feel special to someone. Mayor risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. A greater number of sexual partners or having sex with someone with whom you do not have an exclusivity agreement exposes you to a greater risk of contracting diseases of this type. However, whether it is a casual sex relationship or not, protecting ourselves is our responsibility.

Psychological effects

The study of the psychological consequences of casual sex has given us a range of corollaries that go in very different directions. In some cases, research has focused on the negative effects and to a lesser extent on the psychological benefits. However, many of these conclusions have been supported with a wide margin of error.

On the one hand, it has been found that engaging in casual sexual relations can be associated with feelings of depression, loneliness, and can even make us feel used. Furthermore, it has also been found that, In some people it reduces self-esteem, increases general psychological discomfort and is related to guilt.

On the contrary, it has also been seen that casual sex can be a source of food for self-esteem, possibly due to the reinforcement that comes from arousing interest in other people. Likewise, it has been reported greater life satisfaction, less anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms.

The aspect that seems to determine whether positive or negative effects occur is the predisposition to casual sex or personal values. So, If the person has a high sociosexuality (more predisposition and openness), the effects are more beneficial. On the other hand, those who have a lower tendency or intention towards this type of relationship tend to present more negative emotions.

Casual sex, like having a partner, produces a series of advantages or disadvantages that, rather than depending on the relationship itself, are determined by personal needs and values. In this sense, we can feel better, worse or the same depending on what we are looking for or expect from an encounter.

You might be interested…