Your mental health is at risk.

Like stated in my previous blog, Sex or No Sex – What to Know About Your Brain, sex affects the way your brain works. Hookups are short-term sexual experiences that leave a lasting effect on your brain.

The more partners you have, the less connected you become to others; this includes relationships with family and friends as well. While physical risks may be more obvious, the emotional impact (emotional distress and sexual regret) may be just as painful. These negative reactions can also include guilt, regret, and disappointment.

Your physical safety is at risk.

Human trafficking is also a real danger. You don’t know if the person messaging you is who they say they are. Many girls, boys, and young people go missing every year thinking they are safe meeting up with someone they met online.

Every year, potential victims of sex trafficking are recruited by online dating app and social media platforms, with Facebook being the most used social media platform for recruiting victims into sex trafficking.

There is also a greater risk of rape and coercion in hook-up culture. 70% of women have had unwanted sex during a hookup. Nearly 78% of unwanted sex was during a hook-up as opposed to 13.9% in an ongoing relationship.

So, what do all these numbers mean?

There is nothing wrong with wanting to connect with people. But connecting with someone doesn’t have to lead to sex. While society would have you believe hookups are fun and “normal,” the data doesn’t lie. Whether you want to believe it or not, there are real risks to your sexual, mental, and physical health.

There is only one YOU in this world and YOU deserve better. If no one has ever told you that, then I hope you read this today and believe it. You are valued and deserving of more than a meaningless and potentially dangerous encounter.

At Alcove Health, we try to empower women with accurate information, valuable medical services, and lovingkindness. All our services are free to you, and we will treat you with the dignity and compassion you deserve.

Call or visit our appointment page to request your free and confidential appointment for an option consultation, STI testing, pregnancy testing, and ultrasound.