Are 'hookups' replacing romantic relationships? ? Intent Blog

New research from The Miriam Hospital?s Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine examines what scientists and sociologists often refer to as ?hookup culture,? or the trend of?casual, no-strings-attached sexual encounters that many alarmists believe are replacing traditional romantic relationships and??eroding the foundation of America.

The study surveyed 483 freshman female college students and found that contrary to popular belief, ?romantic sex with a boyfriend or relationship partner [is] twice as common as hookup sex.???Hooking up? was loosely defined by the researchers as any form of sexual intimacy ? ranging from kissing to sexual intercourse ? between partners who are not in a romantic relationship and don?t anticipate future commitment.

More from Eurkalert:

Before starting college, one-third of incoming freshmen women reported having at least one hookup, while nearly 60 percent said they had sex at least once in the context of a romantic relationship. Forty percent reported sexual hookups during the first year of college, and less than one in five participants had a sexual hookup each month. However, more than half ? 56 percent ? engaged in oral and/or vaginal sex with a boyfriend or romantic partner during the year.

The average number of sexual hookups per month ranged from one to three, suggesting that ? for most women ? hookups are experimental and relatively infrequent as opposed to a regular pattern of behavior. Specifically, the highest rate of sexual hookups took place at the beginning of the academic year (October) and the lowest rate was during the summer (June). Sexual hookups were also more common among Caucasian students than they were among Asian or African-American students.

?These findings support what we know about the first year of college: That it is a time when we see increases in sexual behavior and substance use, as young people explore who they want to be and how they want to interact with others ? especially romantic partners,? said Fielder. ?It?s important that we gain a better understanding of students? sexual behavior, since it can potentially affect both their physical and mental health as well as their academic success.?