Guides
Casual Sex Guides: Plain Answers Before You Meet
Worth knowing before a casual meet: how to stay safe, where to get tested, how to spot a scam and what consent means.
Where to begin
Three good places to start
You don’t have to read everything. Pick the question closest to yours, and each guide points on to the next page that helps.
Meeting for sex safely
A plan for a first casual meet: what to check, where to meet, what to agree and what to do if it goes wrong.
STI testing UK
Where to get an STI test in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, how long to wait, home kits, PEP and emergency contraception.
Dating scams
The warning signs of a dating scam, published figures for the UK, Ireland and USA, and where to report in each.
Is it right for you?
- Is there a casual sex site?
Yes. Seven casual sex options compared side by side: what each one is, who it suits, how it charges and whether it comes as an app.
- Is Local Sex Meets legit?
Who can join, how billing and cancelling work, and what the terms say Local Sex Meets does not verify, so you can judge.
Stay safe and private
- Meeting for sex safely
A plan for a first casual meet: what to check, where to meet, what to agree and what to do if it goes wrong.
- Dating scams
The warning signs of a dating scam, published figures for the UK, Ireland and USA, and where to report in each.
- Keeping your sex life private
What other members can see, what stays hidden, the photo and phone habits that protect you and how to delete your data.
Health, consent and the law, country by country
- STI testing UK
Where to get an STI test in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, how long to wait, home kits, PEP and emergency contraception.
- STI testing Ireland
Where to get tested in Ireland, how the HSE home test works, HIV timings, and what to know about PEP, PrEP and emergency contraception.
- STI testing USA
Who the CDC says should get tested, how often, how to find a clinic, when HIV tests work and the 72-hour PEP window.
- Age of consent UK
The age of consent in each UK nation, what consent means in law, and what to do if you doubt someone's age.
- Age of consent Ireland
The age of consent in Ireland, what the law says consent means and how it can be withdrawn, and where to find support.
- Consent and casual sex
What consent means for a casual meet, how to ask and say no, and what UK, Irish and US sources say about condom removal.
Words, messages and profiles
- Casual dating terms
Plain-English definitions of NSA, hookup, casual sex, one-night stand, fling, situationship, ghosting, DTF and local, each checked against a named dictionary.
- Sexting tips
How to start a sexting conversation, set boundaries, protect your photos and what to do if an image is shared without consent.
- Sex dating profile tips
How to choose a photo, write one honest sentence, pick tags and open a chat on a casual sex site, with example opening lines.
How we write them
Where the facts come from
You should be able to check every fact for yourself.
- Every figure, law and service is named with its source in the sentence, and the guide gives the date it was checked.
- The health and law guides name the official service to contact. They are general information, not medical or legal advice.
- Guides about one country name it. The rest apply wherever you meet.
Prefer a comparison to a guide? See how Local Sex Meets compares with other services.
Good to know about these guides
Are the guides medical or legal advice?
No. They are plain-English summaries of what official bodies say, with each source named. For a decision about your health or the law, contact the clinic, helpline or adviser the guide points to.
Why are some guides about one country?
Health services and laws differ from place to place. The testing and age-of-consent guides each cover one country so the services, names and rules in them are the ones that apply to you.
How current are the guides?
A checking date sits at the top of every guide. Where a service or a rule has changed since then, go with the official source the guide names rather than the page.