It is not a myth at all that casual sex among adults is common. Literature and cinema abound with such examples, and researchers in the field are aware of this apparently human behavior. For some people, casual sex plays the role of an important event in life, for others it is just a diversion. For some it happens from time to time, for others it becomes a way of life. But how does casual sex affect the psyche? This is what psychologist Rose Wash and her team decided to investigate. For specialists, it is interesting whether casual sex leaves a positive or negative impact on emotions and what are the factors that determine the experience on this linear scale. To study people’s emotional reactions to the “event” of casual sex, psychologists analyzed 70 studies. Emotional reactions are subjective, although many more casual sex participants are left with positive emotions from it, are their findings. However, one negative case for a given person is enough to form a negative attitude towards casual sex, they found, and about such, alas, nearly three quarters of those surveyed in the various surveys reported. For them, the regret of what happened, the feeling of embarrassment and negative emotions remain predominant. This makes it much more difficult to draw a conclusion: whether or not casual sex is a positive event. The chances of a person remaining satisfied with one increases under certain conditions, the researchers commented. For most people, the best sex happens with a romantic partner, not casually with someone, much less a stranger, they emphasize. The causal sequence is difficult to disentangle: whether casual sex increases self-esteem and reduces depression and anxiety, or whether those with good self-esteem and low anxiety are prone to casual sex. There are few studies that include individual backgrounds such as emotions, physicality, sexuality, etc., all questions that illustrate the inference conundrum. Probably, some of those who have casual sex feel lonely or depressed and therefore indulge in it; others undertake it because they are diversified or simply excited; third, take advantage of chance. What else is clear from the researchers’ analysis – casual sex in the short term can have a negative effect on emotional health, but in terms of long-term emotional health, such cannot be said. What factors determine whether casual sex plays a negative or positive role in emotions? Here are the researchers’ conclusions: 1. Women are much more likely than men to regret and feel anxiety because of casual sex. Hence, its practice by women is less satisfying than for men. 2. Age is a factor that is relevant to emotional experience and it is different for adolescents, young adults and others. 3.It also depends on the individual attitude towards sexuality – those who are positive or tolerant have positive emotions after casual sex. Most realize that casual sex can be pleasurable but rarely emotionally intimate. That is, reasonable expectations are critical to the emotional state. For example, expecting casual sex to develop into a romantic relationship is associated with disappointment and heartbreak. 4. If the sexual partner was close, usually unplanned sex remains more positive than negative emotions. In other cases, it usually carries a high negative rating. 5. If the encounter involves penetration – vaginal, oral or anal, rather than non-penetrating contact (kissing, touching), it is more likely to be rated as a negative experience. The conclusion of the researchers is that more positive results can be obtained in the emotional aspect of casual sexual encounters if people are clear about how to make the decision for themselves. Bibliography: Wesche, R., Shannon E. Claxton, SE, & Waterman, EA Emotional outcomes of casual sexual relationships and experiences: A systematic review. Journal of Sex Research – https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2020.1821163