A growing body of research about young people in friends-with-benefits relationships (FWBR) describes a largely college-based population enjoying casual sexual relationships that are an interim, convenient measure until they are ready for something more permanent. Little is known about the way baby boomers are adapting FWBR for their relationship needs in midlife. A FWBR is defined as one where people have repeated or ongoing sexual encounters, do not consider themselves to be a couple, but are friends.
My study explores the experiences of rural baby boomers in FWBR. Changing social mores, a rise in the divorce rate, and the desire for both intimacy and independence has led to non-traditional relationships becoming more prevalent and accepted across the life span. Baby boomers are not new to pushing the boundaries in sexual relationships, and this qualitative, interpretive descriptive study explores their contemporary experiences. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with rural baby boomers (born 1946-1965) living in Australia were conducted with participants who had been in a FWBR in the previous five years.
This paper will present data from the study, and compare findings about the baby boomer cohort with what is known about young people in FWBR, discussing similarities and some significant differences. The submitted abstract reports on research from human participants with approval from the University Human Research Ethics Committee, La Trobe University, UHEC No. 11-078.