Sexual Satisfaction + Marriage + The Pill = ???

I've read a few articles about this study, and I'm still not entirely sure what to make of it ... but it's definitely worth a read!

The study, involving 2,519 mothers (mainly from the US and Czech Republic), looked at the relationships between the Pill, sexual satisfaction, and marriage. They've reached some pretty interesting conclusions:

Women who meet their partners while taking oral contraceptives (aka "the pill") report less sexual satisfaction in their relationships, as well as less attraction to their partners. That said, these women also report more satisfaction with other parts of their relationship, including the financial support they received from their partner. As well, those women were less likely to split from their partner.

Wondering how all of this works? According to researchers, it's about chemistry.

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The researchers had previously discovered that women's menstrual cycles affect the types of men to which they are most attracted. Part of having "chemistry" with someone is liking his smell, which is determined in part by an immune system molecule called MHC.

People tend to be attracted to partners with MHC types that are dissimilar from their own, probably because this would give their offspring a greater chance of survival by creating a diversified immune system. The pill, however, puts the body into a hormonal state similar to pregnancy — and pregnant women tend to prefer MHC scents that are similar to their own, probably because this would make them feel safe and comfortable around supportive relatives.

That means that if you're taking the pill, you may be more likely to find attractive men whose MHC is similar to your own — but during your regular cycle, these men might seem less your "type."


Indeed, during their most fertile phase, women tend to be drawn to more dominant, masculine men who are more likely to be unfaithful. In contrast, during the second part of their cycle, when they could already be pregnant, they are more attracted to calmer, more nurturing types.

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I'm sure there are many, many factors involved with attraction, sexual satisfaction and relationships ... taking the pill is only one of many influences. Nevertheless, this is pretty interesting research and I'll be watching to see what else the research may reveal.

Read the entire article here: How the Pill Affects Sexual Satisfaction, Lasting Marriage

- Candice

Why Women Cheat

Disclaimer: This article is only partially about sex; more than anything, it's about relationships and why some people seek connections with people outside of their relationships. Please do not misunderstand -- the subject matter of this article is COMPLETELY SEPARATE from the articles I've published about nonmonogamy / open relationships / monogamish relationships (etc). This is about actual "down and dirty" cheating ... specifically, women seeking to cheat on their husbands.

In the article, the author "goes undercover" on AshleyMadison.com to try to find out why women cheat. With the knowledge and consent of his wife, he creates profiles, talks to women, meets them in person and integrates his "interview" questions into their casual conversations. The article is well-written and I think it gives some great insight into why some women seek connections with others, outside of their marriages/relationships. 

Happy reading!  :)

"Honey, I have to join Ashley Madison."

So began the pitch I gave my wife to let me join the marrieds-looking-for-affairs website, AshleyMadison.com. It would be part of my research into women who cheat, why infidelity is increasing, and what can be done to possibly affair-proof a marriage. I proposed to "cheat" on her for a few weeks, to talk to and attempt to seduce as many women as possible, and get a real-world understanding of why women want to stay married but also need some illicit action on the side.

Read the rest of the article here