Does the Pill make you choose a boring lover? Scientists find women who take the contraceptive pick caring and reliable men



Ever wonder why the man in your life is a little too sensible? Why he loves cosy cardigans, comfy slippers and wouldn’t dream of a wild night on the town – let alone in the bedroom?



It could be down to the Pill.



Scientists say that women taking the contraceptive tend to choose reliable, caring and steady chaps as partners and steer away from those more dashing, adventurous and dangerous types.



Lack of passion? Women on the Pill tend to choose more boring lovers

In other words, taking the Pill affects a woman’s choices. So it’s hardly his fault if you find him a little on the boring side now.



The theory is that the hormones in the Pill steer women away from thrilling macho men who might not stay around towards more sensitive types who will be a better bet for fatherhood in the long-run.

During the research, 2,519 mothers from around the world were questioned about how happy they were in their relationships. Some had met their partners while on the Pill, while others had not been taking it.



Most, but not all, were still together with the fathers of their children.



Those who had been on the Pill reported less sexual satisfaction than the other women.



They regarded their husbands or boyfriends as less attractive and less exciting in the bedroom, the study found.



Contraceptive: The Pill affects women's hormonal balance, which can change the type of men they're attracted to

But there was a positive side. They rated their men more highly in other ways, seeing them as more faithful, more supportive and better providers.



Overall, these positives seemed to outweigh the unexciting love lives, with relationships lasting an average of two years longer if the woman had been on the Pill at the start.



According to the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a woman’s hormones naturally fluctuate over the course of the month, raising her interest in alpha males (the dashing types) with good genes when she is most fertile and most likely to become pregnant.

It is thought that this is nature’s way of giving her the best chance of healthy children.



At other times of the month, she is attracted to reliable and caring sorts who are more likely to stick around and help her bring up the family. The Pill, however, blunts this hormonal fluctuation, making the reliable types more attractive throughout the month.

Dr Craig Roberts, who led the research, said: ‘The implications of our study seem to be that by changing your hormone profile through using the Pill, you might shift your preference away from cads in favour of dads.’



Dr Roberts stressed that his results are based on the average responses of thousands of women and not every woman on the Pill will experience the same effects.

He did, however, advise Pill-users who think they are ready to settle down to see whether using non-hormonal contraceptives alters their opinion.



He said: ‘Choosing a non-hormonal barrier method of contraception for a few months before getting married might be one way for a woman to reassure herself that she’s still attracted to her partner.’



But other experts urged women against this course of action.



Anne Szarewski, editor of the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, said it was ‘impossible’ to draw any conclusions from the study, simply because women who take the Pill are different from those who don’t.

