TAKING the Pill has a surprising side-effect according to research: it changes the type of face that a woman finds attractive.
British scientists have discovered that women on the Pill have different ideals of male sexual attractiveness to those who are not taking oral contraceptives.
The remarkable effect, identified by psychologists of the Perception Lab at the University of St Andrews, appears to stem from the way the Pill mimics the hormonal effects of pregnancy.
Similarly strong preferences for male faces with a healthy glow, over those with pallid features, were also found among pregnant women and those in the less fertile phase of the menstrual cycle, suggesting that the female hormone progesterone is responsible.
The pattern of raised progesterone levels typically seen during pregnancy may trigger an internal mechanism that has evolved to protect expectant mothers against contact with disease, the researchers said.
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Women with this hormone profile also preferred female faces that look healthier, indicating that they may be subconsciously seeking to avoid ill people who might infect them and endanger their unborn children.
The findings, from a team led by Ben Jones and David Perrett, add to growing evidence that fluctuating hormone levels contribute substantially to people’s notions of who is attractive.
Previous research by the group, for example, has shown that women are more attracted to typical masculine facial features at the most fertile points of the menstrual cycle.
“Most theories of attraction predict that women will be keen on macho men,” Professor Perrett said. “This is because such men are good bets to produce healthy kids with a tough immune system. The prediction turns out to be partly true. Five years ago we discovered a link between hormones and facial attraction: masculinity counts most for male allure when hormones controlling women’s fertility were highest.
“Our new findings reveal different and stronger hormonal influence that controls women’s attraction to health cues in men. We show that women’s choice of both friends and possible romantic partners is also guided by apparent health. Every woman likes healthy-looking faces, but women who are or may be pregnant are particularly keen on healthy looks.”
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The effect, however, was seen only when women were assessing faces for suitability as a short-term sexual partner or friend. When asked about a man’s potential as a long-term partner, their preferences were no different from the norm.
In the study, details of which are published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, the researchers conducted three online surveys and two in the laboratory, which assessed the facial preferences of several thousand women.
The same face was presented twice, with one of the images adjusted to look pale and unwell while the other appeared to be in robust health.
All women preferred the healthier faces on average, but the degree of choosiness was much greater among those who were pregnant, on the Pill, or in weeks three or four of the menstrual cycle, when fertility is lowest. The results, Dr Jones said, indicate that female hormones, and by extension the Pill, can have wideranging effects on social interactions.
“A lot of research into oral contraceptive use has tended to focus on the potential health effects, whether negative or positive,” he said. “I guess this finding suggests that social effects are something worth considering too.”
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