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What is Real Love?

Is feeling lusty/horny the same as feeling like you're in love?

If you have sex with someone does it mean they'll love you?

Most people find it hard to say what love actually is. It's often easier to describe what it feels like. Some people say that love involves strong feelings of trust and closeness. Often it's easier to share your personal thoughts and feelings with someone you love. Many people say it's all about feeling accepted for who you are.

But what about feeling horny or lusty?

How is sexual attraction towards someone different from loving that person? When someone is sexually attracted to another person they often want to be really close to them and to touch them in a pleasurable way. They can feel very sexual when they're with that person, or they may day dream or fantasise about being sexual with them. You can have all these feelings without being in love.

Some people think that if someone wants to have sex with them that means they want to have a relationship or that they love them. This might be true but it isn't always. It's possible to be sexually attracted to someone but not feel like you love them.

Being "in love", and "loving" someone can also mean different things.

People often talk about being "in love" with someone, when they have met someone they feel really sexually attracted to and they want to get to know. This can be a very strong, intense and exciting feeling. "Loving someone" is more often used by people to describe a strong feeling of trust, care and respect that usually grows between two people. Being "in love" can in time change into "loving" the person. If people feel strongly enough they might make a commitment to each other. This might be a long term relationship or a marriage.

"Love" has many meanings. And people use it to describe lots of different feelings. Feelings of love and sexual attraction change as we get to know people, as we learn more about ourselves and as we experience these feelings with different people.

Sometimes its hard to understand love and sex because there seem to be different rules for girls and boys.

Who am I attracted to?