Amy Gahran, “Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life”

Sexual friendship

There is a big potential disadvantage to how sexual friendships are commonly perceived. In mainstream culture, people often view friends with benefits arrangements as strictly casual. In turn, casual sex is commonly construed to mean no emotions involved, no strings attached, sex-only hookups. Hence, another common and sometimes derisive label: fuck buddies.

Friendships, whether they include sex or not, involve real people with real feelings — and ideally, some level of mutual appreciation, consideration and respect. Also, strictly recreational, no-commitment sex is fine, with mutual consent.