When booty calls make you blue: sometimes sex with no strings is definitely sweet ... but it also has the potential to backfire. Being clued in helps you avoid the fallout.(The Hot Issue)

There are guy friends, boyfriends, and then the men who fall somewhere in the middle. Booty calls, sex buddies, friends with benefits--whatever you call 'em, women hook up with these guys regularly or semiregularly solely to get it on. No dinner, no movie ... no clothes.

Now, if you have a healthy libido and you're in between beaus or you don't want to be bogged down by committed coupledom, this no-strings arrangement may suit you just fine. But some chicks suffer repercussions.

"Sleeping with one guy on a consistent basis triggers your brain to go into relationship mode," explains Geraldine K. Piorkowski, PhD, author of Too Close for Comfort. "So when you don't receive boyfriend-grade emotional support, it upsets you." Adding to the confusion is social pressure. "There's an attitude that women should be liberated enough to handle casual sex situations," says Elizabeth L. Paul, PhD, professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey. Here, Cosmo tells it like it is.

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Posthookup Regret

You might tell yourself you're hitting the sheets because you're in a frisky mood, but you could actually be craving the comfort and closeness that comes from lying next to a guy. "Women often turn to a booty call because they seek intimacy," says Paul. "The catch is, the feeling isn't fulfilling because you're not emotionally connected."

After a while, hooking up with your sex buddy can start to seem mechanical and pointless. It's like eating a giant piece of cake: It tastes amazing for several bites, but when you're finished, you wish you could take it back.