Many of us have been in a relationship with someone who was all wrong for us, yet we stayed because we “felt a connection.” It can be tough to figure out what’s going through our heads when this happens, but what if it was actually beyond our control?

There is a little-talked-about hormone, oxytocin—nicknamed the “cuddle hormone”—which is released during sex and could be effecting our relationships and sex lives and relationships in ways we’ve never thought of.

What is oxytocin?
Basically, it’s one of our many hormones. Both men and women have it, and while its exact purpose is still unclear, it increases in our systems during orgasm (for men and women) and during childbirth (it’s what bonds mothers to their babies). It’s released into our bloodstreams in response to breast or vaginal stimulation as well says Dr. Beverly Whipple, Secretary General of the World Association for Sexual Health.


Is it him or the oxytocin that I’m attracted to?