The Pill could change our taste in men
That little oral contraceptive pill could be doing more than preventing pregnancy – it could affect who you’re attracted to!
The Pill alters our perceptions of what’s attractive, say researchers from Sheffield University. This means it could be changing our taste in men, too. The scientists think it could result in a kind of “unnatural selection”.
Your attractiveness to men and your perception of attraction change depending on the phase of your menstrual cycle you’re in. Right before ovulation, you’re more attractive to the opposite sex – and you also find more ‘manly’, dominating and competitive men appealing.
If you’re on the Pill, this fluctuating cycle is basically eliminated, so you’ll prefer the same type of men throughout your cycle. Supposedly, this means you’ll be looking at more ‘feminine’ men, and they’re closer to you genetically.
If you start taking the Pill after you’ve met a man, you might find them less attractive, and the relationship’s long-term outlook won’t be great, the research seems to suggest that. This could have an impact over large populations, say the scientists.
“There are many obvious benefits of the Pill for women, but there is also the possibility that the Pill has psychological side-effects that we are only just discovering. We need further studies to find out what these are,” said Dr Alexandra Alvergne, from the University of Sheffield.
Do you think the Pill’s affected your pick of mate? If you’ve had any less well known ‘side-effects’, let us know…
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