Most young adults have had some casual sex experience. However, it is important to understand
the motivations for such behavior. We investigate the motivations for and consequences
of casual sex using a life-course lens. We use the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study to
examine a diverse sample of young adults with recent casual sexual experiences (N = 239).
We draw on a subset of in-depth relationship narratives (N = 44) to provide a more nuanced
understanding of the motivations for and consequences of casual sex. We find that sexual
pleasure and substance use remain the most common reasons for participating in casual sex.
However, young adults report motives that are associated with the young adult stage in the life
course including too busy for commitment, geographic mobility, and feeling too young to be tied
down. These findings can inform service providers who work with the young adult population.