Feminist Peace Network

“Birth-control pills could screw up a woman’s ability to sniff out a compatible mate, a new study finds.”

Say what???

“While several factors can send a woman swooning, including big brains and brawn, body odor can be critical in the final decision, the researchers say. That’s because beneath a woman’s flowery fragrance or a guy’s musk the body sends out aromatic molecules that indicate genetic compatibility.

(MHC) genes are involved in immune response and other functions, and the best mates are those that have different MHC smells than you. The new study reveals, however, that when women are on the pill they prefer guys with matching MHC odors.

“Not only could MHC-similarity in couples lead to fertility problems,” said lead researcher Stewart Craig Roberts, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Newcastle in England, “but it could ultimately lead to the breakdown of relationships when women stop using the contraceptive pill, as odor perception plays a significant role in maintaining attraction to partners.”"

Oh the shock, the horror!  And I’m not even going to ask what an evolutionary psychologist is, although I’m sure someone will write to enlighten me.  Too bad I never could tolerate the pill, then I’d have an excuse for my lousy mate-choosing abilities.  And how exactly does this apply to gay and lesbian mate choices.  How sad that research like this even gets funding–imagine if those funds were used to come up with explanations for wife-beating or dowry killings.  Just saying.

Filed under: Uncategorized, Reproductive Justice