"Friends with Benefits" Doesn't Benefit College Women

The Daily Illini, the student newspaper at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, published an interesting study last week about college women and casual sex:

"A study done for the recent publication of the Journal of Sex Research, "No Strings Attached: The Nature of Casual Sex in College Students" concluded that college-aged women who have a history of casual sex tend to feel more depressive symptoms after their sexual experiences than men do."

"The study found that 18 percent of women and three percent of men who participated in the study thought their most recent casual sex experience was "the beginning of a romance," and this disparity, the authors said, could be the reason for the difference in depressive symptoms. The study's sample included 404 undergraduate students in introductory psychology courses at a large public university in the southeastern United States.... More than half of the students surveyed who were sexually active said they engaged in casual sex -- sex with someone who they were not currently involved in a romantic relationship with....The study also found that casual sex occurred more often between friends than between strangers."

Ah yes, "friends with benefits."  Except that many young women feel sort of crummy and unhappy after sleeping with their friends.  As Part Time Pundit, another blogger notes, "Like most campuses, the University of Illinois hosts an annual celebration of uncommitted sex called 'Sex Out Loud'.”  One wonders if the sex "celebrations" on college campuses present information about the difference in attitudes and expectations between college men and women.  Nice to see the Daily Illini newspaper present this information.  I hope other colleges spread the word. 

Hat Tip to The Snoring Scholar, who's hosting the Catholic Carnival this week.

Comments

[John Jansen]

The reasons to save sex for marriage just keep on coming!

[Batya S]

The phenomena of casual sex on college campuses is tragic because one hopes that students would be guided to develop a healthy system of values as well as a healthy sense of self. It seems that precisely the opposite is happening.

Here is more information about "Sex Out Loud" from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Office of the Dean of Students website.
http://www.odos.uiuc.edu/lgbt/news/pastEvents/2006_March.asp

Sex Out Loud
This exciting, free event provides an open and safe environment for people to learn about, discuss, and explore sexual health information and resources. This year's event will feature a live DJ, a teen dating violence skit performed by the Teen Awareness Group, an excerpt performance of the Vagina Monologues, interactive games and activities, prizes, and information on topics including: Abortion, Abstinence, BDSM, Birth Control, Body Image, Body Modification, Emergency Contraception, Healthy Relationships, HIV/AIDS, International Women's Rights, Intersexed People and Sexuality, LGBT Issues, Men's Health, People with Disabilities and Sexuality, Sex Toys, Sexual Myths and Facts, Sexually Transmissible Infections, Violence Against Women, Women's Health, And Much More!

Help support sexual health awareness and come to the Fourth Annual Sex Out Loud!

[LORa]

It seems, from Batya's post, that "Sex Out Loud" may be more than just a celebration of uncommited sex. Among the topics covered: abstinence, healthy relationships, international women's rights, sexual myths and facts, violence against women.

[K.]

I've personally attended Sex Out Loud, and it's mostly an informational session. You can pick up information on a range of topics like gay marriage, birth control, and even piercings, etc. It's purpose is to promote sexual awareness, and they usually get a pretty good turnout.

The most interesting thing there was that they were giving out EC (emergency contraception); even a few girls I knew sitting at tables didn't even know about that, and I remember thinking that if more people on campus knew, surely there would have been some protest.

The thing that upset me, however, was coming across a priest who was giving out information about abstinence, and waiting to engage in sex until marriage.

Now, before I go any further, let me just tell you: I'm a 25 year old Christ-follower, and a virgin. In today's sexually-obsessed society, it's often refreshing for me to meet people who take virginity, abstinence, and celibacy seriously.

But this was propaganda. This man didn't hand out information about how sex is sacred and should only be reserved for the marriage bed, or the sexual and emotional benefits of abstinence. No, no--nothing so enlightening. Instead I picked up poorly cut strips of paper, ALL of them with information directed towards women (um, what about the men?) with statistics about how women who had sex before marriage were more likely to get divorced, or less likely to get married at all.

Sorry, but try as you might, you can't SCARE someone into not having sex. It just doesn't work. I wish I still had the strips of paper but I attended this event ages ago. Yes, I think Sex Out Loud is a worthwhile program that the University should continue to endorse, but I certainly don't think this man took the best approach in reaching young women and getting them to think more about their sexuality.