That said, you may face related issues like STDs, unwanted pregnancy, partners who see your relationship as more than just casual, etc.

As you can see, with you will have the opportunity to engage it without having to pay a single dime.

A true understanding of what casual sex does and does not do to a person’s psychological wellbeing is a long way off.

Nevertheless, people do have opinions on the topic, and here is mine (based on existing research along with more than two decades working as a psychotherapist with a specialization in sex and intimacy issues): If casual sexual activity doesn’t violate your moral code, your sense of integrity, or the commitments you have made to yourself and/or others, then it’s probably not going to be a problem for you in terms of your psychological wellbeing.

Meanwhile, others think the current digital hookup culture is a great way to be sexually active while single, and maybe even a good way to meet someone who might become a longer-term partner. In the post-Kinsey world, there is not a lot of research looking at the psychological effects of casual sex on those who do (or don’t) engage in it.

In the research that does exist, the primary focus is generally limited to the question: Are the people who engage in casual sex more depressed, and do they have lower self-esteem, than the people who aren’t having casual sex?