I had gross anatomy at the university level, massage anatomy with that certificate, and had health as part of my newspaper beat.
It is a chemical reaction, I think it causes pair bonding. This is why a lot of people mistake lust for love after just a one night stand, I think.
Well, from a woman point of view I can tell you that we do have a co-relation with feelings and sex, but it's not the only thing. Deep down all women hope that the person they are having sex with come to need us. Some women get over that though.
The bonding hormone is oxytocin and that's what it does in a nutshell. The hormone is designed to bond someone for life and can linger subconsciously for years. People aren't always consciously thinking about a former partner but in the back of their mind somewhere the feeling is there. Vasopressin in men makes them feel possessive/protective of their partners. Bonding hormones.
Probably because of some childhood experiences, including losing my father when I was 13, I didn’t really connect sex with loving someone when I was young. I didn’t love my husband when I married him, although I grew to. I think I married to have a change of life and to provide a healthy environment for the children I wanted to have (and did).
Had my share of one night stands. Never woke up thinking I was “in love” or that he loved me. I did know I didn’t like sleeping alone.
Only thing I was bonded to WHILE giving birth was the idea of getting the whole thing over with! Exhaustion trumps bonding. Didn't even want to see him right afterward. Bonding came later on. Maybe my oxytocin wasn't working...