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Body odour, inbreeding, women, and the Pill
Pill may lead women to the wrong guy
While millions of people have plenty to thank the contraceptive pill for, it turns out its contribution to the survival of the fittest, and to our relationships, might not be so complementary. A study by British scientists suggests the pill could be responsible for skewing the hormones of women that use it, and attracting them to the "wrong" partner.
A women's sense of smell is also said to be an innate guard against inbreeding. The researchers asked 100 study subjects to indicate which of six male body odour samples they preferred both before and after starting to use the birth control pill. The researchers found the women's preferences changed after they began taking the pill to favour men with similar odours to their own.
The research showed the pill could even contribute to the end of relationships, as women who stop or start taking the pill may no longer find their boyfriend or husband so attractive. While it is unclear whether body odour overpowers such traditional desirable marriage traits as looking like Brad Pitt and having Bill Gates' bank account, the study suggests its effect is considerable.