Impact of Recreational Sex on Sexual Satisfaction and Leisure Satisfaction

Introduction Premarital sexual intercourse among college-age adults continues to be a public health concern, as risks for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies are not uniformly spread among the population. College is the time period when a great number of young adults define and develop their sexual self. To understand sexuality, it is important to explore relevant motives, personality dimensions, and behaviors. Specifically, the literature reveals a great deal about (1) love and intimacy and (2) the desire for procreation, but not much about (3) recreational sex. Analyzing heterosexual sexual activity as recreation is of value as there may be multiple meanings in sexual interaction related to the nature of the relationship and other external factors. An area of study previously neglected in the research literature is the impact of sex as recreation on both sexual satisfaction and leisure satisfaction. Understanding behaviors, such as recreational sex, may be of value in developing effective intervention programming aimed at reducing sexual risk-taking and promoting consistent use of condoms on college campuses. Recreational Sex Human sexuality is loaded with multiple meanings, such as love, lust, pleasure, reproduction, the need for protection and support, and a desire to maintain and fortify the bond between persons. When researchers Benagiano and Mori (2009) addressed the question "what is at the origin of human sexuality: procreation or recreation?"- their response was "both and much more." Abramson and Pinkerton (2002) reviewed evidence from physiology, psychology, and cultural values, and concluded that perhaps reproduction today is simply a by-product of sexual pleasure. The authors noted that sexual pleasure facilitates interpersonal bonding, promoting interpersonal relationships, and reducing social tensions. As a dimension of a stable or growing relationship, sexual expression has been termed relational. Relational sexual expression has been described as a manifestation of a multifaceted relationship of sharing and communicating. Intimacy is more than physical; it has meaning intrinsic to the experience and is a full sharing of oneself with another (Kelly & Freysinger, 2000). A traditional theme in Western culture has been that sexual activity is serious, or for greater ends such as reproduction or bonding in marriage. However, as the connection between sexual activity and childbearing has diminished, "recreational sex" (sex purely for enjoyment) seems to have greatly increased in acceptance. Contraceptives, that are both highly effective and readily available, have largely disconnected heterosexual intercourse from reproduction, and sexual activity has become less serious in its meaning and consequences. Sex as leisure or recreation suggests that sex is primarily for the experience itself, and not necessarily connected with some deeper meaning. "Sexual activity, with its intense and varied potential for physical pleasure, is defined as recreation, a self-contained kind of activity" (Kelly & Freysinger, 2000, p.167). For a number of individuals, sexual activity is viewed as play and considered an intense form of social leisure. From this perspective, participation in sexual activity may take place without reference to its place in building relationships, creating a family, or cementing committed relationships. The foremost meaning of a sexual act is in the experience, rather than the consequences of the sexual act. Thus, recreational sex may take place within the context of a mutually monogamous committed relationship, but often occurs in casual relationships. Many young people may have adopted an ethic of caution relative to recreational sexual behaviors, but the literature indicates relatively few have abstained (Kelly & Freysinger, 2000). Even high rates of STIs and unintended pregnancies have not seemed to deter participation in recreational sex within casual relationships. …