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Have you had a friend with benefits?

If you think singledom is all about moping in your trackpants and listening to Adele while weeping into a bucket of ice cream, you’d be mistaken.

A new survey has found that 41% of Australian singles are taking matters into their own hands, admitting to having had a ‘Friends With Benefits’ (FWB) relationship.

Dating website RSVP have released the results of their annual Date of the Nation Report, surveying more than 3,500 Australians. They found that single women are slighty more likely than single men to have a FWB relationship, with 43% of women having an arrangement for those lonely nights, compared to 40% of single men.

The group most likely to have a booty call on speed dial? Singles between 30 to 39, with nearly 60% admitting to having had a FWB relationship.

According to psychologist John Aiken, RSVP relationship expert, relaxed attitudes towards sex have led to people throwing caution (and undies) to the wind with their mates. But it’s worth setting up some ground rules first.

More: The one thing men can say to make women happy

“If you set clear boundaries, friends with benefits relationships can work in the short-term, however, there is always the risk that one side will become emotionally attached the longer it continues and this can put the entire friendship in jeopardy if the feelings aren’t reciprocated,” he says.

The findings also revealed that it’s not just those in their 20s and 30s with a FWB arrangement. “The over 60s are embracing the trend and we can see that one in five have also had this arrangement with a friend,” Aiken said.

Other results from the survey were that date number three is the most common time to have sex; 63% of singles have had a one night stand; and twice a week is the most popular ideal for frequency of sex for singles, however once a year is the most common actual frequency.


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