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This chapter explores the dynamics of young adults’ sexual relationships, offering a clearer picture of how young Americans pick their sexual partners, how long those relationships last, how slowly or quickly sex is introduced, and how they negotiate sex within their relationships. The chapter draws on an economic theory of sexual relationship formation and navigation, which helps explain why sexual double standards remain remarkably robust. Attention is paid to the phenomenon of “friends with benefits,” including how such relationships tend to form, with whom, and how they end. In their romantic relationships, many emerging adults make unwanted sexual requests of their partners. What do they ask for? And how do their partners evaluate such requests? This provides a segue into a discussion of online pornography, which is now nearly ubiquitous and tolerated within the vast majority of young adult relationships.

This chapter reviews current theorizing regarding the impact of cultural, social, and gender factors on young people’s attitudes toward casual sex, one-night stands, hookups, and the like. The chapter also looks at the impact of these variables on the frequency of young people’s sexual fantasies and their desire and willingness to engage in casual sexual activity. Currently, cultural psychologists, feminists, and evolutionary psychologists are engaged in a great debate as to why men and women differ in their enthusiasm for casual sex. Is it because men are more sexual beings, or is it because women who engage in casual sex face more stigma and dangers? As the sexes become more equal in opportunities, will existing gender differences disappear?

This chapter explores the history of the “B-girls”—young women employed by bars or nightclubs to act as a companion to male customers and to induce them to buy drinks, and usually paid a percentage of what the customers spent. B-girls were part of important changes in sexual and commercial culture in the 1940s and 1950s. During World War II, they joined prostitutes, pickups, and victory girls in bar-based heterosexual encounters, strategically adapting their practices to evade social protection authorities. This further developed in the 1950s when the B-girls created a professional subculture which blurred the line between commercial and casual sex and took advantage of citizens' declining support for legal campaigns to control women's sexuality. With creativity and ingenuity, mid-century drink solicitors expanded the possibilities for women's sexual license.

Casual uncommitted relationships are those that never admit even the possibility of long-term commitment, are frequently short-term, and tend to focus on sexual activity as an important aspect (though not the only aspect). That is, many people might not say they are in relationships at all, or will specifically name that they are in casual relationships. These relationships frequently involve sexual encounters that leave people feeling unfulfilled, or desiring more. Augustine of Hippo, a fifth-century lover of casual relationships in his youth, teaches us that sex is very significant, so significant that it can become unselfish, so that our own desires become surrendered to God.

Much prior research acknowledges that peers influence adolescents’ sexual behaviors. Yet few studies have explored whether and how peers influence sexual decision making among emerging adults, especially among those in committed intimate partnerships, while also accounting for dynamics specific to the intimate relationship and respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study, this report examined multiple aspects of peer influence on three different sexual behaviors among emerging adults: sexual non-exclusivity, number of casual sex partners, and lifetime number of sex partners. It was found that having more sexually liberal peers and peers who engaged in criminal activity significantly influenced emerging adults’ self-reported numbers of casual and lifetime sex partners, as well as the frequency of engagement in sexually non-exclusive behaviors among those in committed dating, cohabiting, and marital partnerships. This report discusses potential theoretical mechanisms linking these relationships and provides suggestions for future research.

Casual sexual relationships and experiences (CSREs) have been the focus of numerous research studies during the past two decades. These relationships and experiences are especially prevalent and important during emerging adulthood. This chapter evaluates these CSREs within which sexuality occurs during emerging adulthood. In addition to examining historical patterns in CSRE engagement, the chapter focuses on specific individual characteristics that are related to CSRE engagement and responses to CSREs, including age, sex/gender, sexual orientation, race, socioeconomic status, educational status, nationality, religion, and alcohol/drug use. This focus on individual characteristics provides a framework for understanding who engages in CSREs during emerging adulthood.

Casual sexual relationship and experiences (CSREs) are defined by sexual encounters that take place outside of formal romantic relationships. These relationships are associated with sexual identity exploration and in keeping with the fluid and flexible pathways emerging adults are taking during this transitional period. Consistent with the ambiguity emblematic of these relationships, terminology used to describe these relationships are also ambiguous and can vary by degree of commitment, investment, and emotional closeness. Sexual double standards are evident; emerging adult women are more likely to be judged negatively for participating in CSREs. Transitions from casual relationships to more exclusive relationships and their influence on future romantic relationships are not well understood. A case study of one of the 29 participants is presented and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Sexual experience is considered an important developmental milestone for emerging adults. Whereas some sexual experiences incur benefits, others are associated with negative mental health outcomes. This chapter first describes the cultural context in which emerging adults experience their sexuality, including sexualized media, sexual scripts, hookup culture, and technology, and the impact of these contextual forces on emerging adults’ psychological well-being. The mental health effects of sexual behaviors are also discussed as they relate to various relational contexts, including committed romantic relationships, casual “hookups,” and ongoing casual relationships (e.g., “friends with benefits”), with an emphasis on the disproportionate negative outcomes for women and the limited empirical research on the impact of these experiences on racial and sexual minority individuals. The chapter further discusses the mental health outcomes affecting emerging adults with sexual and gender minority identities. The chapter concludes with important directions for future work, including longitudinal studies and greater attention to intersectionality.

This chapter explores the intersection of religion and sex among emerging adults. It first discusses the extant empirical literature related to how religion influences sexual behavioral decisions as well as the link between religion and sexual values and attitudes. It then acknowledges a general waning from religion during emerging adulthood but presents diverse trajectories related to the religious lives of emerging adults and their sexual decision making. Next, the chapter discusses a variety of pathways and trajectories through which emerging adults may travel as they navigate decisions involving relationships and sexual intimacy and how such decisions are, may be, or are not influenced by religion. The four presented trajectories are religious rejecters, religious remainers, religious returners, and religious innovators. The chapter concludes by addressing some additional complexities regarding emerging adults, religion, and sex and offers some concluding questions and directions for future research.

This chapter focuses on sociosexual networking sites (SSNS) to explore kink that occurs beyond kink communities and venues. These sites have been mostly ignored in much research on kink, either viewed as a threat to existing communities or used only to recruit participants. Using interview data to consider how these sites are part of kink communities and help reinvigorate them, this chapter outlines some of the key kinky and non-kinky SSNS used by participants and distinguishes differences in uses. Non-community participants primarily use SSNS to seek casual kinky sexual encounters. Community members described similar uses but also acknowledged using kinky SSNS to establish new social connections and maintain existing ones. Finally, given the lack of literature on kink SSNS, the chapter explores what online profiles look like on kink SSNS for community members and how discussions occur in these spaces.