Women using hormonal contraceptive pills choose less sexy, but more reliable and faithful partners, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Thanks to this, they also create more lasting relationships, although they may derive less satisfaction from sex. Such conclusions were reached by British scientists from the universities of Stirling, Aberdeen and Newcastle together with Czech colleagues from Charles University in Prague. They studied a total of 1000 women who used hormonal contraceptive pills at the time they met a partner who would later father their first child, and 1500 women who were not using hormonal contraception at the time. They were asked about the level of overall satisfaction with the relationship and with sex with a partner, and information on the duration of the relationship was also collected.
It turned out that women who chose their partner while using birth control pills experienced significantly lower (and systematically declining) sexual satisfaction, but a higher overall level of satisfaction with the relationship, including the partner’s loyalty, financial security on his part and fulfillment of out of the paternal role. They were also more likely to have a long-term relationship.
As the authors of the study reminded, it has already been observed that hormonal changes occurring during the menstrual cycle have an impact on what features women prefer in men. During the fertile phase of the cycle (a few days before and a few days after ovulation), ladies pay attention to male facial features, which have been linked to a favorable genetic makeup, but also to infidelity. However, women using the contraceptive pill do not experience the hormonal fluctuations typical of the natural cycle. What’s more, the pill inhibits ovulation and thus mimics pregnancy in some way, and then women are more sensitive to features such as steadfastness, loyalty, and protectiveness, which indicate that a man will be a good father.
A British-Czech team analyzed for the first time the effect of hormonal contraception on women’s choice of a partner under real-world conditions. Previously, similar observations were only made in the laboratory.
According to scientists, the results of their research indicate that the widespread use of contraceptive pills may affect the sexual behavior of women, and thus the characteristics and quality of their relationships, and even their fate. (PAP)