Casual Sex Causes Psychological Scars
Just because your latest STD test came back negative, doesn’t mean your sexual past hasn’t left some psychological scars. “Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children,” is a new book by doctors Joe S. McIlhaney and Freda Bush that warns that just because you didn’t contract any dirty-dirtys from past sexcapades, doesn’t mean you’re home free.
Many teens see casual sex as an act of self-expression that brings immense, no-strings-attached, toe-crinkling pleasure. But according to the authors, millions of teens are now realizing that even casual, safe sex doesn’t always come free – it often comes with psychological attachments.
According to the book, there is a clear reason for this: “sexytime”—whether casual or not—results in the release of brain chemicals that ultimately lead to emotional bonding. When many of these “chemical emotional bonds” are formed, and then quickly severed, there are consequences – even if they are not always immediately evident.
While the psychological scars of casual sex may be tough to measure, STD infection rates are not. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now reports that one in four teen girls has an STD. The most common STD sprouting out on the nether regions of these young ladies is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer; the second most common, Chlamydia, can cause infertility.
Faced with this frightening reality, many teens decide to remain virgins. In fact, many teen celebs, including Miley Cyrus, Jordin Sparks and the Jonas Brothers, have recently pledged abstinence by flashing purity rings. But according to recent studies, not even virgins are home free. Teens pledging abstinence often partake in other types of sex—getting around the rules of abstinence programs by “technically” preserving their virginity.
Unfortunately, many of these fun-filled between-the-sheets activities still put celebrities – and you – at risk for contracting STDs – and cause the release of the brain chemicals that lead to emotional bonding, and the psychological scarring that can come with it. So next time you find yourself debating whether or not to go home with that hottie from the club, dish out your digits but save yourself from the baggage of a one-night stand.
