Who Profits from Casual Sex?

What would we do without the Daily Mail? Yesterday, that wondrous publication reported the latest findings on casual sex. That is, on casual sex on college campuses. The conclusions: for certain students, it can enhance self-esteem; for others, not so much.

As you might have guessed, those who are most likely to get a self-esteem boost from casual sex are males. Not just any males, but among college age students: self-involved, narcissistic, athletic males. It also helps to be politically liberal.

Obviously, these are also the males who are most likely to have access to casual sex. After all, politically liberal men are more likely to spend time with politically liberal women and this latter group—sex-positive feminists-- might, for all we know, be most susceptible to casual sex, that is, they might be the least likely to respect themselves.

Meantime, the Daily Mail reports:

Dr Vrangalova, a professor of psychology at New York University, also defined key character traits of people who constantly want casual sex.

'They are generally extroverted, sensation-seeking, impulsive. avoidantly attached' males, who also invest less in romantic relationships and are more likely to have cheated on a romantic partner,' she told journalist Ryan Jacobs.

'Among men, they are also more likely to be physically strong, and especially among college men, also more sexist, manipulative, coercive and narcissistic. They also tend to be “unconventional, attractive, [and] politically liberal.'

As it happens, people who are drunk when they have casual sex are more likely to regret it. Who knew? Obviously, the report is not about just any people. It should be common knowledge by now that women who indulge this habit are more likely to need to get drunk to participate.

They are not, dare I say, exercising their freedom.

Things being as they are, we needed a serious research study, from Emory University, to learn that men are more likely to enjoy casual sex than are women and that women are more likely to orgasm when their sexual activities exist within the context of a relationship.