Pill could alter mate bonding

As Mugatu said in the movie “Zoolander” — “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”

Oral contraceptives can make women have clearer skin, reduce cramps, cause weight gain and mess with our emotions. I’ve heard many women tell me that they felt more emotional than usual and a bit crazy when they were on the pill. Ingesting a daily dose of estrogen and/or progesterone will produce both physical and emotional effects on the body.

I know this because I’ve been on oral contraceptives for about three years, trying various brands and doses. Sometimes I will blame some of my actions and moods on the pill, and a recent study helped me — somewhat — justify that blame.

A study has shown that oral contraceptives can negatively alter the process by which a woman chooses her mate through her sense of smell. The aromatic molecules that both men and women send out can actually show genetic compatibility.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes produce an odor that invokes a response from those around you. According to an article on MSNBC, the best mates are individuals who have a different MHC scent that you do.

The recent study on how oral contraceptives effect the reception of MHC odors shows that those women on the pill choose individuals who have MHC smells that match theirs.

The reason experts are saying this isn’t good is because MHC cells also produce a substance that informs the body whether a cell is native or an invader. When people with different MHC genes mate their children’s immune systems are stronger because they can identify a broader range of foreign cells, which makes them more fit.

Odor perception also plays a part in maintaining attraction between partners, and lead researcher Stewart Craig Roberts, an evolutionary psychologist from the University of Newcastle in England, said the way that oral contraceptives alter a woman’s perception can ultimately lead to the breakdown of relationships while on the pill.

Past studies have indicated that couples with opposite or dissimilar MHC scents are more satisfied in their relationships and more likely to be faithful to their mates.

The study involved about 100 women between the ages of 18 and 35. At the beginning of the study, the women were given six male body-odor samples and were asked which they preferred. Some of the women were not given oral contraceptives, while the rest started taking the pill for about three months.

Afterward, the women who weren’t on oral contraceptives didn’t show a noteworthy preference for similar or dissimilar MHC odors, while the odor preference for the women who were on the pill changed. The results showed that those women were more likely to prefer similar MHC odors than the non-pill users.

I posted the MSNBC article online and asked my peers whether or not they thought this study was legitimate. Interestingly, two men completely agreed with the study. I wonder if they are agreeing because of their personal experiences with women on the pill.

Women aren’t crazy for taking the pill; choosing to delay pregnancy is a valid choice and I can’t say that, if I learned about this years ago I would stop taking it because I might be sniffing out the wrong mate. Women who are considering taking oral contraceptives, or are already on them, should talk to their doctor about more serious side effects of the pill than how it changes who you choose as a mate, so they know what they’re getting themselves into.

Tiffany Rider is a senior journalism major and the managing editor of the Daily Forty-Niner.