Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Study: 'Friends With Benefits' Sex Common in College

A recent news article about casual sex in college summarizes a research study that was published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior. The research study was conducted by Wayne State University and Michigan State University.

They found that "60% of college students have been in a "friends with benefits" relationship, but that the possibility for romantic feelings — and a lack of communication — can complicate such an arrangement."

Why would college students do this? "The main advantage of such a relationship was "no commitment" (reported by 59.7 percent of participants), which was followed closely by "have sex" (55.6 percent)."

What about consequences? "The biggest reported disadvantage of this recreational sex was the possibility that feelings would develop (65.3 percent). Other worries included "harm friendship" (28.2 percent) and "cause negative emotions" (27.4 percent). Concern over pregnancy and STDs, listed as "negative consequences of sex," came in at only 9.7 percent."

Talk to your pregnant college student. Has she had casual sex with friends? Is this how she became pregnant? Now that she's pregnant, what does she wish she had done differently? How can she abstain from sex in the future until she is married? Talk to your daughter about restoring her sexual integrity. Sexual integrity is more than abstaining from sex until marriage, it is developing healthy attitudes and actions in all areas of human sexuality. We've posted about sexual integrity before. You may also find it helpful to read the chapter titled "Restoring Sexual Integrity" in our book "How To Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy."

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