NO STRINGS? THE IMPACT OF CASUAL SEX ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
Do you ever wonder how casual sex impacts your mental health? Below is a detailed information of the impacts of casual sex on the mental health.
No strings relationships are also known as casual sex. A couple does not bind themselves to the expectations of a conventional relationship. They have sex because they want to have it. Casual sex has different meanings for people. According to Fielder, & Carey (2010), casual sex, also known as hookups, are sexual interactions between people who do not want a romantic commitment. Some people celebrate it and do not bother about the consequences or issues such as commitment while others condemn it. When people have no attachment towards each other after sex, it is referred to as no strings. Casual sex is not just a physical act that people enjoy and move on with their lives. Sometimes it may have an impact on your mental health.
Embarrassment and Shame
When a woman is expected to remain 'pure,' casual sex may cause regret. It may be the 21st century but how society views women who have sex is not the same as how it views men. A man could gloat over the number of women that he has engaged in, while a woman will be condemned by society if she did so too. At this point, the woman may wonder if having random sex is even worth it. Some people feel embarrassed that they had sex just because their peers were doing it. They feel as if they let themselves down by not having the principles to have sex because they wanted to and not because of peer pressure.
Depression and Loneliness
According to Corbett et al. (2009), some people associate every sexual encounter with love, romance, and companionship and if sex does not lead to that, they are disappointed. They do not expect their partner to abandon them after the encounter. They become depressed and lonely when the sexual experience does not yield much. They were probably attached to the person with whom they were involved with. They may continue having casual sex, hoping to keep their partner, and when it turns out into casual sex, they will feel as if they need to have it more while trying to get over the sex that did not yield anything. They end up feeling worthless, which is why they fall into depression.
Drug Addiction
Some people use drugs to cover the guilt they feel for having sex. They use drugs to boost their confidence or libido. With time they turn into addicts because they imagine that they have to use the drugs for better performance. The drugs tend to uplift the mood of the party. They, therefore, would not engage in casual sex if they were sober. The casual use of drugs eventually leads to addiction. For those who had to have drugs for better sexual performance, this can lead to dependence on the drugs, and hence they may have sexual issues such as impotence.
Inability To Cope With Intimate Relationships
People who engage in casual sex tend to be promiscuous because they do not consider sex an important activity between romantically involved people. They consider it an act that has no consequence and does not require any attachment for it to happen. Therefore, they do not have boundaries on whom they can and can't be involved with. When they finally opt to form a healthy relationship, they may not want to be bound by the expectations of a traditional relationship that involves love, respect, and commitment. When such people get into relationships and marriages, they tend to suggest sexual ideas that will allow them to continue having casual sex, for example, group sex, swapping partners, and having what is known as an open relationship. An open relationship is where the partners are committed to each other, but they have to give each other permission to have sex with other people if they want to. Casual sex can distort a person’s mind.
Transmission of Sexual Diseases
The transmission of sexual diseases is very common among people who practice casual sex, according to Sullivan et al. (2009). During casual sex, most people do not use protection. Even when they use protection, it is not 100% effective. Some diseases that can be spread by casual sex even after using condoms are genital herpes and syphilis. They may use genital dams and still get chlamydia, throat cancer, and oral herpes. These diseases are not easy to live with. Some, such as HIV, are incurable.
Pubic Lice
Scratching your pubic area is bad for your mental health. If you cannot afford treatment, you may want to leave it untreated, and if you do, you will develop infections from the scratching. You may need to tell someone for you to find medical help. However, discussing anything about genitals may be embarrassing for most people. Having pubic lice can have a toll on your mental health.
Pregnancy
According to McIlhaney, & Bush (2008), casual sex may lead to unwanted pregnancies. Pregnancy out of casual sex is a nightmare for most people. For most people, it is worse than having a sexually transmitted disease, and that's why most people will have sex without protection but take some precautions to prevent pregnancy. You went to have sex, but you conceived instead, which will affect both the man and the woman. An unplanned pregnancy is especially bad for a woman’s mind. She now has to think about the consequences of casual sex because she is living it. An unplanned pregnancy can lead to despair even if the mother chooses to terminate it. When pregnancy happens, the mother can also be suicidal.
Conclusion
Casual sex can cause mental health problems. Sometimes people with psychological issues may worsen their mental health when they get involved in casual sex to cope. Casual sex may sometimes not cause mental issues, but it may be a contributory factor-like when it spreads. The inability of the person to cope with the consequences of casual sex causes affects mental health, and professional mental health care may be necessary.
References
Fielder, R. L., & Carey, M. P. (2010). Predictors And Consequences Of Sexual
“Hookups” Among College Students: A Short-Term Prospective Study. Archives Of Sexual Behavior, 39(5), 1105-1119.
Mcilhaney Jr, J. S., & Bush, F. M. (2008). Hooked: New Science On How Casual Sex Is
Affecting Our Children. Moody Publishers.
Corbett, A. M., Dickson‐Gómez, J., Hilario, H., & Weeks, M. R. (2009). A Little Thing
Called Love: Condom Use In High‐Risk Primary Heterosexual Relationships. Perspectives On Sexual And Reproductive Health, 41(4), 218-224.
Sullivan, P. S., Salazar, L., Buchbinder, S., & Sanchez, T. H. (2009). Estimating The
Proportion Of HIV Transmissions From Main Sex Partners Among Men Who Have Sex With Men In Five US Cities. Aids, 23(9), 1153-1162.