The University of Minnesota and researchers from Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) has found there to be no difference in psychological well-being between those who engage in casual sex and those in monogamous relationships.

Doctor Marla Eisenberg and her research team reviewed information from 1,311 young people, aged 18-24 (average age: 20.5), about their most recent sexual encounter and their overall psychological health. 574 participants were male; 737 were female and their information was collected between 2003 and 2004.

55 percent reported their last sexual encounter had been with an exclusive partner; 25 percent with a life partner. 12 percent reported recent relations with a close, but non-exclusive partner, and eight percent reported a casual sex partner. Men were twice as likely to report a non-exclusive or casual partner.

Dr. Eisenberg reports, "When we looked at the emotional well-being across these groups, we really found no differences in things like body satisfaction, in self-esteem and depressive symptoms."

She also notes that the study does not downplay the physical health risks, "It’s things like STD prevention and pregnancy prevention and we really need to focus on those when we're doing health education programming with young adults."

The study was funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Service Administration, and the US Department of Health and Human Services. It is published in the December issue of the academic journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.