In response to the article written by Dalen Bracken I would just like to express my own viewpoint on the matter of “making friends with benefits work.” This subject is truly a private matter, as Mr. Bracken stated at the beginning of his article, and I for one believe that is how it should remain. It is noones business if you choose to have a sexual relationship with a friend, but the thought of actually giving rules or tips for such a thing is disgraceful. Sex is something that should be shared between two people that genuinely care for one another, not something to be thrown around to any acquaintance one might have. There are consequences to sex, and a person must really think about whether they are willing to share these consequences with just a “friend”. As college students and adults, we should know the results of our actions, however we fail so many times. We live in the moment, or for what feels good at the time, never thinking that what we are doing could harm others or ourselves. In a relationship things are shared between partners, most share about past sexual experiences so the partner is aware. With friends, important issues such as this are often not shared because there is generally no reason to think about the others sexual history. When you have the type of casual sexual encounter Mr. Bracken suggests, with a friend you leave yourself open for the pain of knowing this didn’t mean very much to either party. Mr. Bracken says that using the phone leaves you open for awkward moments of silence and “makes it seem like something is wrong or that something is brewing.” If you can not speak on the phone comfortably with this person why would you want to have sex with him or her. What if something were to come up, an unexpected pregnancy, or STD, how are you going to feel sharing this with the person you slept with but couldn’t speak to on the phone. Mr. Bracken says that you should keep yourself from being open to a relationship with this person, and to make it clear that friendship is as far as it goes. This is not truly an option, when you have sex with someone you ultimately leave your self open for a relationship with them, good or bad. If a pregnancy occurs, there is a relationship right there, and no way to get around it. Is this truly something you want to share with someone who might not be around or that is “just a friend.” . Far to much can go wrong with this situation, unexpected pregnancy, STD’s, and it is a very emotional factor, that can leave you feeling guilty. It is true that any of these things can happen in a relationship, however at least there is a chance that something can be worked out between partners who genuinely care for and love one another. Lastly, I feel Mr. Bracken wrote a very selfish article focusing on individual satisfaction, which is not what sex should be about. Both people are supposed to get satisfaction from this but with the situation he presents that can not be achieved. Some one will get hurt from trying to make friends with benefits work the way Mr. Bracken presents it, he ends his article “Remember: don’t leave until you are satisfied.” This physical satisfaction would be a very empty one in my eyes. This behavior is merely fixing a ” sexual void” which in all actuality might be an emotional void one is trying to take care of through casual sex. So I say remember : There are consequences to friends with benefits.