representative example can be difficult in some areas. For example, a 1997 study on South Asian gay men found that almost 75% were afraid of being "found out", which complicates studies. Purposes The scenarios for sexual fantasies vary greatly between individuals and are influenced by personal desires and experiences, and can range from the mundane to the bizarre. Fantasies are frequently used to escape real-life sexual restraints by imagining dangerous or illegal scenarios, such as rape, castration, or kidnapping. They allow people to imagine themselves in roles they do not normally have, such as power, innocence and guilt. Fantasies have enormous influence over sexual behaviour and can be the sole cause of an orgasm. While there are several common themes in fantasies, any object or act can be eroticized. Sexual fantasies are increasingly viewed as a necessary component to a healthy relationship. Accordingly, theorists have argued that fantasies may be used to encourage and promote sexual pleasure between partners. Researchers have additionally found a positive correlation between instances of sexual fantasising and increased orgasm, arousal, and general contentment. The relative benefits of sexual fantasies are summarised in a statement by Stroller; “sexual fantasises are a private pornography in which we rehearse over and over again needs that are nearly impossible to fulfil in actual sex”. Sexual fantasising therefore allows an individual to fulfil desires that cannot be realistically achieved. In this sense, researchers assert that fantasising about extra-marital, or multiple-partner sex is positively correlated with long-term partnerships. As such, sexual fantasies are viewed as means to combat sexual dissatisfaction. Sexual fantasising may also be used to settle relational hardships, as opposed to sexual dissatisfaction. For instance, women from disturbed marriages were found to fantasise significantly more often than happily married women. Creating hypothetical scenarios may be used as a coping mechanism, particularly by women, in handling stress and discomfort. As such, fantasies allow individuals to enter a new realm (e.g. experience a position of power, innocence, or guilt) that contrasts the source of anguish, and enhances feelings of self-worth. The purpose and function of sexual fantasies are explained rather differently from an evolutionary perspective. Bowlby's (1969/1982) attachment theory asserts that the absence of adequate attachment figures can devastate self-esteem. It is suggested that more anxiously attached individuals use sex to attain emotional security. Accordingly, they might engage in sex through a longing for sexual intimacy, and increase the frequency of