Relational and sexual functioning are linked in adult romantic relationships, and they reinforce each other.

Attachment theory was originally described by John Bowlby’s work in 1970. Bowlby was a pioneer in developing our current understanding of how attachment works, and his work focused on attachment development in child- parent relationships. This relationship was found to inform how children develop internal working models or thoughts and expectancies about relationships and what to expect out of relationships in the future. Attachment orientations from childhood are also consistent with adult romantic attachments. The way that adult romantic partners attach has also been linked to sexual satisfaction in sexual functioning.