Two researchers have reviewed the body of research on the effects of birth control pills on both women and men's perceptions of attractiveness, and have come to some provocative conclusions. Women on the pill are less attracted to hyper-masculine men, they found, and don't show the typical propensity towards men who are genetically dissimilar from themselves. In addition, women on the pill may lack the attractiveness edge that's associated with ovulation, the study found. An alarmist, tabloid-esque summary of the findings might read like this: Pill-taking women aren't hotties, and they pick girlie men who are likely to give them ugly babies. But of course, there's a lot more complexity to the findings.
The contraceptive pill alters monthly fluctuations in hormones associated with the menstrual cycle, mimicking the more stable hormonal conditions associated with pregnancy [New Scientist].
