Who knew that my discriminating taste in men was due to my choice of contraception?
Reuters reported yesterday that birth control pills change women’s preference in men.
Psychologists at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland asked 1570 young women on oral contraceptives and 1325 women who were not, to choose between healthy and less healthy male faces. The same face was presented twice, one image glowing with apparent health, the other looking pale and unwell.
All women preferred the healthier face on average but those on the Pill were significantly more choosy. "Women using oral contraceptives expressed stronger attraction to apparent health than women not using oral contraceptives," the researchers reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Um, who were these chicks who wanted pasty, sick-looking guys? And I wonder if the study took into account that not all women like the men-folk at all, sick or healthy-looking…
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Actually, I read that, as well, and I had one question - was that the _same_ women before and after the pill, or different ones? I mean, maaaaybe, just maaaybe, it's that the more discriminating women who choose to be responsible by taking birth control are going to continue the trend and be a little more I don't know, health-oriented when it comes to guys, too.
The whole study seemed pointless to me, except maybe for somehow trying to make sickly guys feel hostile towards The Pill? "I can't get no chicks. Damn, you, birth control, damn you to hell!" I mean, huh?
Hmmm ... this IS a touch heterosexual ... what about us dykes that are on birth control for health reasons? Does this change my preference for particular women?
Though, gotta say, pasty and sick vs. healthy and glowing? Going with the latter every damn time (I mean, hell, I spend enough time on makeup, hair, getting ready, so so should she!)
And elfy, who were the researchers? Maybe sickly guys that wanted to know why they couldn't score? ;)
The pill basically works by tricking your body into thinking your pregnant enough so it doesn't try to make you fertile again. There have been various studies looking at what women want when they are fertile or when they're pregnant, and being on the pill seems to cause both effects.
Some studies have shown that sense of smell is affected - and that women on the pill, and women who are pregnant prefer someone who smells like family (whatever that means). It was interpreted to mean, pregnant women (or those who their bodies are behaving that way) need to be looked after ie family. Whereas fertile women need non-family to breed with.
The big problem is that there are so many different things going into our feelings of sexual attraction, way beyond just hormones, that I don't think anyone can honestly point to the pill and say it causes x
Well..how about the explanation that the women on the pill were actually smarter than the women not taking pills? :-)
Sounds like a bunch of psychologists ran out of things to do lol.
I don't even see the merit behind this study. There are so many holes in the reasoning and blah blah blah.
I appritiate the efrort to support controceptive use but this is just silly. Good read though.
heh. I would be the one liking the pasty fellows...:X But, also, I would like the non-pasty fellows...and the girls...
Let's see who the pill makes me like when i start it up again soon ;) ha ha
Kelsea:"Sounds like a bunch of psychologists ran out of things to do lol."
The same exact thing can be said about a bunch of women in the middle of the 19th century.
It really isn't up to you to decide whether a study is worthwhile now is it? I think you just took offense to the fact that maybe birth control affects women's behavior beyond their control. But wait, that's not politically correct. In a politcally correct world women are under complete control... except for PMS... and the patriarchy... and whatever.
I didn't look at the study, and I don't think you did either. So, assuming that these psycholgiest conducted the experiment carefully, then the results may just be valid. Huh, go figure. Someone does an experiment, finds a correlation between data points and can now predict a pattern of behavior.
If the data was not statistically relevant then I doubt they would have published it.
Dude, ryan, it was a lighthearted, and misspelled ha ha ha, post. I take a lot of interest in psychology, as it is my field of study, and like to poke fun at it because some day it will be me studying such funny stuff.
Chill
"Dude, ryan, it was a lighthearted, and misspelled ha ha ha, post. I take a lot of interest in psychology, as it is my field of study, and like to poke fun at it because some day it will be me studying such funny stuff.
Chill"
Lady, do I look like I know you? Do you realize how well jokes come through on the internet? I'll answer for you; no and no (apparently). Fuck off with your "Chill." If you write on a serious message board expect a serious response.
The point of the study seems to be summed up in the line "Women, they suggested, may have evolved strategies -- triggered by raised progesterone levels -- to reduce the risk of infection disrupting development of the unborn baby when their immune system is weaker than normal." It's not to do with birth control affecting a woman's body, but with pregnancy affecting it.
This does look to me like kind of a "well... duh" situation, but I suppose a lot of things wouldn't be considered "well, duh" information unless someone had thought to do a study.
Hye Ryan--you really need to cut the hostile shit out. We don't tolerate personal attacks.
Hi__my name's nancy boy ryan,I'm too serious. I like to come on this site and yell at people. I also hate it so bad that people don't pay me attention that when I get a chance I have to raise my tone and speak all mean...so be forewarned, if you disagree with me I'll yell and scream and use my brute strength to make you listen!!!!...GGGRRRRRRRR...
I don't even see how anyone could take my post so seriously. Wow. Someone is in need of ass stick removal surgery.
gah.