Casual sex often gets a bad rap — especially when it's women having it. As the above video from Science of Us demonstrates, though, casual sex can confer both physical and emotional benefits. And it's a myth that women aren't interested in it. (They are, however, more likely than men to factor the potential for slut-shaming and threats to their safety into their sexual decisions.)
As the video explains, whether casual sex improves your quality of life depends on your "sociosexual orientation." In other words, how you feel about having sex outside of a relationship determines whether you should have it — which, well, of course. How we feel can often be difficult to separate from how friends, parents, or pundits feel, however. Remember, though, that casual sex is neither "good" nor "bad," as long as you're being safe. You do you.
This month, we're sharing steamy personal stories, exploring ways to have even better sex, and wading through the complicated dynamics that follow us into the bedroom. Here's to a very happy February. Check out more right here.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The Sex Toys You Didn't Know You Needed
Watch: Celebrities Read All The Awful Things Male Survivors Of Sexual Abuse Hear
I Knew Breast Cancer Would Be Hard, But Dating After Breast Cancer Is Harder