WOMEN using oral contraception are less likely to split from their partners, research has revealed.
A team of scientists at Stirling University studied a group of woman who had been taking the pill when they met their partners.
They concluded that while the women were less sexually satisfied or attracted to their partners, they were more satisfied with other aspects of the relationship and so less likely to separate.
Dr Craig Roberts, who led the study, said: “Our results show some positive and negative consequences of using the pill when a woman meets her partner.
“Such women may, on average, be less satisfied with the sexual aspects of their relationship, but more so with non-sexual aspects.”
He added: “Overall, women who met their partner on the pill had longer relationships – by two years on average – and were less likely to separate.
“So there is both good news and bad news for women who meet while on the pill.
“One effect seems to compensate for the other.”
Preference
Previously Dr Roberts found that pill use could change the type of man women were attracted to by altering their preference for men’s body odour.
Instead of preferring genetically different men, when women go on the pill their preference switches towards the odour of more genetically similar men.
This might mean that women using the pill choose different men than they would otherwise choose.
“Women tend to find genetically dissimilar men attractive because resulting babies will more likely be healthy,” Dr Roberts said.
He said this was part of the “subconscious chemistry of attraction” between men and women.
“Similarly, women’s preferences subconsciously change over time so that during non-fertile stages of the menstrual cycle they are more attracted to men who appear more caring and reliable – good dads,” Dr Roberts said.
“The hormonal levels of women using the pill don’t alter much across a month and most closely reflect those typical of the non-fertile phases of the menstrual cycle.
“It seems that our preferences are shaped by these hormonal levels, so preferences of women on the pill don’t change around ovulation in the way seen in normally-cycling women.”
Dr Roberts added: “Choosing a non-hormonal barrier method of contraception for a few months before getting married might be one way for a woman to check or reassure herself that she’s still attracted to her partner.”
