14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers have found that, when they are at the most fertile stage of the menstrual cycle, women prefer the aroma of dominant men and they also naturally regulate their scent in order to attract men.
In the first stage of the study, researchers from the Charles University in Prague have asked 48 men to asses whether they felt dominant. The odors of these men were taken by asking them to wear cotton pads under their armpits for 24 hours, and later on these cotton pads were presented to 65 women.
The women were asked to rate the odor of the pads for their intensity, sexiness and masculinity. Those who were ovulating rated the self-assessed "dominant" men as sexiest. Furthermore, the researchers have found that these women were more likely to rate the odor of dominant men as "sexy" especially if they were in a relationship.
However, women at other stages of their menstrual cycle - single or not - did not pick out dominant men in the same way. Researcher Dr Craig Roberts told BBC: "There seems to be some sort of physiological mechanism that directs women to indicators of good genes. The offspring of such a coupling would therefore be likely to have better genes."
Other scientists have also noted the importance and complex influence pheromones have exhibited in the past on the social aspects of human life. For example, Dr. Nick Neave, from Northumbria University, has shown that women were more likely to rate highly the male pheromones coming from a dominant or assertive individual. The researchers admit however that the exact mechanisms at work are not known.
A second stage of the study was concerned with the effect women odors have on men. It was found that when a woman is at the most fertile part of the menstrual cycle her armpit odor is very soft, while when she is having a period, and not ready for pregnancy, the smell changes to an acute, repellent odor.
The researchers studied 12 women who wore armpit pads for 24 hours. They were restricted from eating certain foods and from using deodorant or hormonal contraceptive. The odor samples were then presented to 42 men, who sniffed them and assessed their attractiveness. "Axillary odor from women in the follicular phase was rated as the most attractive and least intense," the study's leader Dr Jan Havlicek, from Charles University in Prague, said. "The results suggest that body odor can be used by men as a cue to the fertile period in current or prospective sexual partners," he added.
Thus it appears that women subconsciously prefer the aroma of dominant men when they are at the most fertile stage of the menstrual cycle and at the same time their own odor changes becoming more attractive for men.
Humans are not the only species displaying such patterns. A number of primate species also display changes during their fertile period, but most scientists thought (or maybe it was just wishful thinking) this was not the case with humans. These findings, however, suggest women evolved to seek out the most virile sexual partner when conception is likely. However, the study also seems to imply that the rest of the time they prefer potential social partners, rather than sexual ones.