As you may know, several recent articles on psychology of love and attraction suggests that we subconsciously select mates that increase the odds of us having stronger, healthier children. One of the major factors in making this decision is how we perceive the smell of our potential mate. We naturally find the smell of those whose immune system is way different from ours more attractive [1]. Now, the thing I did not know and learned during the last Nerd Nite is that when a woman is on birth control pills, this natural selection does not work as designed. In fact, it works in the exact opposite way: the woman finds men with similar immune system to her own, attractive [2]. Then, say if things work great between them, they get married, and decide to have kids, and the woman goes off the birth control pill, what happens? She does not feel attracted to her husband. She wonders "what the hell have I done?". Who did I marry?! Interesting, huh?
[1] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/smell-life/200902/the-scent-sex
[2] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=birth-control-pills-affect-womens-taste
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