The New Intimacy

Hormones Affecting your Scent

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Contributor: Kayla Kayla
This is totally a random topic, but I've read in a couple places (magazines, internet, etc.) that they recommend that you don't start taking a hormonal birth control until after you've found a long-term partner. They say it's because your natural scent gives off pheromones that attract your partner, and taking hormonal birth control changes your scent.

So have you ever noticed a change in scent? A change in your mate's attraction to you after you went on birth control? It's kinda a silly topic, but I just wanted to see people's opinions on it.
08/30/2010
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Contributor: Miss Cinnamon Miss Cinnamon
Huh. I've never heard of this but it sounds really interesting. Could you link to some of the articles you saw this in? I'd really like to learn more about it I started on hormonal birth control not long after my boyfriend and I first got together, and then the hormones made me feel so crazy that I was too out of it to really notice a change in his attraction to me. I'm interested in what he has to say, though
08/30/2010
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
I never paid attention, but it does sound interesting. I wasn't on any birth control the first time we dated in high school, but I had been on the pill for years before we got back together. Guess it didn't matter much to him? lol
08/30/2010
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
(EF Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Kayla
This is totally a random topic, but I've read in a couple places (magazines, internet, etc.) that they recommend that you don't start taking a hormonal birth control until after you've found a long-term partner. They say it's because ... more
I have noticed a terrible change in my natural scent especially during my period. Normally my scent is light and sweet, sort of almost floral but after starting the mini pill I have become rank and smell like raw meat almost. I hate it...but I cannot risk having another child so soon after my son (only been 9 months) and my libido is unaffected so I'll endure. The benefits outweigh the rankness of a few days. My cycles are absolutely spot on predictable, my periods are lighter though a day or so longer, and I no longer need to double and triple up on pads I can wear a tampon without it leaking like a sieve.

Both my guys are very sensitive to scent but neither have lost interest in me, in fact they seem MORE interested so the fact that I smell stronger, while irritating to me, seems to be a good thing to both of them.
08/30/2010
Contributor: Chilipepper Chilipepper
Not turning into a gorgon for four days out of the month with the accompanying Wrath-of-God cramps is worth not having dogs attached to my leg.

A study should be made into what types of men do Pill and non-Pill hormones/pheromones attract.
08/30/2010
Contributor: Jenn (aka kissmykitty) Jenn (aka kissmykitty)
(EdenFantasys)
I've definitely noticed that when I'm ovulating, my scent seems to change, because suddenly not only is my husband all over me, but I'm getting more attention from men in general.
08/31/2010
Contributor: Naughty Student Naughty Student
I have been taking the pill since I am a teen, before having any sexual intercourse so I have never really noticed. I am thinking of taking non-hormonal IUD bcs my sister in law lost a lot of weight by switching. I wonder if she's noticed anything different. I'll have to ask her. Interesting topic!
08/31/2010
Contributor: SydVicious SydVicious
Quote:
Originally posted by Chilipepper
Not turning into a gorgon for four days out of the month with the accompanying Wrath-of-God cramps is worth not having dogs attached to my leg.

A study should be made into what types of men do Pill and non-Pill hormones/pheromones attract.
LMAO awesome answer!
08/31/2010
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by Kayla
This is totally a random topic, but I've read in a couple places (magazines, internet, etc.) that they recommend that you don't start taking a hormonal birth control until after you've found a long-term partner. They say it's because ... more
I've never noticed, but I read an article where exotic dancers, who are not on hormonal bc tend to get bigger tips when they are ovulating, (thus more fertile) and fewer when they are menstruating (less fertile.) And supposedly, dancers on the Pill or other hormonal bc tend to get tips about the same, but don't have the big jump mid month that the ovulating women have.

It makes sense. Men will want to seek out a fertile mate. Even if it's to put singles in her G string.
08/31/2010
Contributor: Heartthrob Heartthrob
Quote:
Originally posted by Kayla
This is totally a random topic, but I've read in a couple places (magazines, internet, etc.) that they recommend that you don't start taking a hormonal birth control until after you've found a long-term partner. They say it's because ... more
I have never taken the pill however I can understand how changing the hormones in the body would change the pheromones. Your pheromones are most desirable when you're fertile. Because you are never fertile or only fertile 1-10% of the time in a year, your pheromones will be different.
08/31/2010
Contributor: Persephone's Addiction Persephone's Addiction
Quote:
Originally posted by Kayla
This is totally a random topic, but I've read in a couple places (magazines, internet, etc.) that they recommend that you don't start taking a hormonal birth control until after you've found a long-term partner. They say it's because ... more
I read recently that a woman's hormone levels affect her ability to smell androsterones (like testosterone) and that taking birth control hinders that. ONe of the ways that we select a mate is based on how they smell - who smells "right" and who smells "wrong." Granted, this is just anecdotal, but I was on birth control for 12 years, during which time I met my ex, who I was with for nearly 8 years. After I had my son, and wasn't on any birth control at all, suddenly he smelled all wrong. It seriously affected my attraction to him.
I'm still off birth control, and my current partner smells just right. The sex is way better too - so maybe my sniffer was off and I selected a bad one! lol
09/01/2010