A Meta-Analysis of Friends with Benefits Relationships: Examining Sexual Features, Sexual and Mental Health, Violence/Aggression, and Gender.

For over two decades, scholars have studied friends with benefits relationships (FWBRs), or the distinct casual sexual relationship that incorporates sexual activity within an already existing friendship without expectations for commitment. The plethora of research spans multiple disciplines and has been measured in various ways. As a result, many mixed results within this body of work exist. This study presents an omnibus meta-analysis based on an extensive and systematic literature search. We analyzed studies (k = 38) that focused on five conceptual clusters: sexual features, sexual health risks, violence/aggression, clinical mental health, and non-clinical mental health. Comparisons were made based on relationship type (engaged, committed romantic relationships, FWBRs, hookups, booty calls, and no relationship) and gender (cisgender men and cisgender women). Overall, compared to all other relationship types, being in a FWBR was associated with greater sexual features, increased sexual health risks, and lower levels of violence and aggression. Being in a FWBR was weakly associated with clinical and non-clinical mental health. Cisgender men, compared to cisgender women, reported greater sexual features in FWBRs. These findings offer a convergence of scattered scholarship creating implications for future research on FWBRs and sexual and relationship education.