It used to be that casual sex was something people looked down upon. Too often, others saw each person as being a bit loose with their morals and potentially “dirty” in all the wrong ways. Much of this perception was down to the public view of sex in general, which was still seen as taboo.

Today, times have changed and now people who are friends often find themselves in a situation where sex comes up. Now, some friends are more likely to engage in a bit of casual sex from time to time, but without elevating the rest of their relationship. The name for this has become simply Friends With Benefits, for FWB for short.

The advantages of this arrangement are pretty obvious – plenty of fun and you don’t have to ruin your friendship in the process. But critics claim it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. Moreover, they say that engaging in this can actually put your entire relationship on a fast track to destruction.

To be fair, friends have been going to bed with each other long before there was ever a pop-culture name for it. But, in those cases, they usually didn’t tell anyone about it and, in some cases, it did lead to the end of the relationship. In others, however, it moved the friendship to a different level, sometimes even creating a romantic relationship that lasted for years.

The dangers of having sex with your friends may not be immediately obvious. After all, the thinking is that you get along so well, why not give it a try? If you’re compatible when you’re hanging out, playing video games and having fun, why shouldn’t that translate to the bedroom?

Pros to this arrangement include the fact that you know each other so well it makes that first time in the bedroom a bit less awkward. This is probably the biggest draw for many friends. Going to bed with a partner for the first time is normally a bit strange since the two people are usually just starting to get to know each other. Considering sex often happens around the third date, this essentially means you’re having sex with someone you barely know – definitely awkward. But with someone you’ve been friends with for years, this initial awkwardness simply isn’t an issue.

The other big attraction to this arrangement as friends talk about it is that, according to them, it’s just sex, right? If they’re not promising anything else in terms of romantic connections, then it’s not a problem … right? And that’s where the first inkling of problems can come in.

Let’s be honest – sex is rarely JUST SEX. Emotions creep in as soon as you start to get intimate, even if only on a small scale. These budding emotions can, in some cases, become stronger and that’s where the problems can begin to develop.

People in a Friends With Benefits situation often report that it limits them from being able to pursue other relationships, since they worry about bringing a date to meet their friends. Even low grade jealousy can sour a friendship and a budding relationship, making it awkward for everyone.

Then there are the times when only one person starts to develop feelings, which puts the friendship on an uneven keel. This, once again, can introduce hurt feelings, resentment and – of course – awkwardness. All the things the people were trying to avoid in the first place.

There’s no denying that having sex with your friends has the potential to cause some problems. If nothing else, it raises the chances of there being issues down the road. But that doesn’t mean you should discount it entirely. For friends who want to give it a go, communication is key. And, of course, being aware of the dangers. At the end of the day, it may be about measuring risk versus reward.