I don’t totally agree with the notion that most swingers are in the lifestyle primarily for friendship; maybe "friends with benefits" is a better description. Being a swinger is about sex, and if the friendship part follows its all the better. According to dictionary.com, the term swinger is defined as:
1. a person who indulges in promiscuous sex
2. a person who engages in the exchanging of spouses for sexual activities
How do relationships work when you are swinging and friends? Sometimes this type of relationship is great, and other times it can be quite awkward. I have several friends who are swinger – some I have had sex with, and some I have not. The difficulty comes when sex has occurred and it wasn’t any good or the attraction no longer exists.
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2009.