The Scent of Love

[watervole]

Just read this interesting article on the way women select men by the way they smell (and it can kick in very quickly without us even being aware of it).  The most interesting finding was that oral contraceptives reverse the effect.  The preferred scent is that of a man with a different MHC complex (essentially someone who is resistant to different diseases from yourself).

The moral of the article appears to be that if you're looking for a man with the eventual aim of having children, then you should make sure you aren't on the pill at the time.  The miscarriage rate is lower (and the chances of conception higher) among couples with different MHC complexes, so it makes sense to choose a man when your built-in MHC detector is working properly.

(There hasn't yet been any research to find if men select women on a similar basis)

Comments

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Ah. So my lack of a sense of smell is entirely responsible for my lack of a man.

So that's all right then.

[frandowdsofa.livejournal.com]

Men select women? What an odd concept.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Heh, indeed. Pulse + willingness is normally sufficient, never mind the whiff.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Apparantly age is the main factor. Given a choice, men will generally go for the younger woman.