Let’s hope more people listen to what Brent Childers has to say.
Day: October 8, 2009
Women’s ability to choose undermined by the pill
Or more specifically, a recent review article raises the question whether
the use of oral contraceptives is interfering with a woman’s ability to choose, compete for and retain her preferred mate
Because, as it turns out, contrary to women who take the pill,
Ovulating women exhibit a preference for more masculine male features, are particularly attracted to men showing dominance and male-male competitiveness and prefer partners that are genetically dissimilar to themselves.
Well, that might be not so bad then? However, higher genetical similarity is associated with infertility and weaker offspring.
The researchers do underline in their article that there is not much known about how this cyclic change in female preference affects actual mate choice, but I just fear that this will be picked up by some groups as another excuse to fulminate against oral contraception, because “oohz noz! they are messing up the human race!”.
[Update] What I couldn’t put my finger on earlier but got enlightened on in transport is that it speaks of “a woman’s ability to choose” rather than saying “it affects her choice”. I am probably nitpicking, but I find it somewhat loaded to put it this way.