The Pill 'affects choice of partner'

Published on Thursday 8 October 2009 19:06

THE use of the contraceptive pill may cause women to choose less masculine men as partners, research has found.

The study also found that taking the pill may make women less attractive to men.

Scientists have raised fears that these effects of the Pill may have an impact on future generations by affecting the ability of couples to reproduce.

Previous studies have found that ovulating women prefer partners with more masculine features and are particularly attracted to men showing dominance and male-male competitiveness. They are also said to prefer partners who are genetically dissimilar to themselves.

Women taking the pill are said not to exhibit these ovulation-specific attractions.

The scientists from the University of Sheffield, writing in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, also looked at research suggesting men are able to detect a woman's fertility status and prefer those who are ovulating.

They discussed whether this meant the use of oral contraceptives influenced a woman's ability to attract a mate by reducing her attractiveness to men.

The researchers found that studies suggested the Pill is likely to have an impact on human mating decisions and subsequent reproduction.