Holiday hookups may be all the rage this season — you know, right alongside temporary boyfriends and desperate attempts to hang out under the mistletoe.
But before you take the plunge into Christmas sex, you might want to take some time to study the rules of such encounters. A new study, published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, explored the various types of casual relationships among young people (ages 18 to 27) and their “codes of conduct,” so to speak.
It starts, says researcher Jocelyn Wentland, by knowing exactly how to classify your relationship. “Casual sex” is a blanket term; instead, choose a more specific description, like “booty call,” “friends with benefits” or “one-night stand.” If you’re having trouble ironing down exactly how to describe your hookup, here’s some help from the participants in the study. Read more…