Do Pheromones Play a Role in Our Sex Lives?

Do pheromones play a role in our sex lives
Pheromones have an active role in sexual attraction, causing arousal and desire once released.

Pheromones have an active role in sexual attraction. When they are released, they can cause arousal and desire and are claimed to affect fertility. Although pheromones have an important role in animal physiology, studies regarding pheromones in humans are not very reliable.

Pheromones are secreted through perspiration and saliva. However, the term smell may be deceptive because these compounds do not have an odor. They are instead sensed by specific cells of the nasal tissue, which convey impulses to the brain.

  • A small study reports that men who use topical pheromones, which are produced artificially and mimic the effects of natural pheromones, had a higher success rate when attempting to start and maintain conversations with women.
  • These artificial pheromones are usually present in perfumes that are applied to the skin.
  • Moreover, the study reports an increase in the frequency and quality of compliments, more flirtation, and a 40 percent increase in female sexual response overall.

In the same study, women who used topical pheromones were more likely to be asked out on dates. In addition, a whopping 74 percent of women reported an increase in sex and other forms of closeness such as hugs and cuddling.

A person’s pheromone levels may have a substantial effect on their sexual activity. Individuals with higher levels of pheromone secretion are more likely to have more sex, feel more confident, and be viewed as more sexually attractive. These effects attract increased attention, social interaction, and connecting with others.

The opposite is true as well. Pheromones can turn people off for virtually no reason. A love-at-first-sight sensation is typically caused by pheromones coursing between two people, but being immediately repulsed by someone could be your pheromones telling you that you and they have limited genetic compatibility and reproduction is out of the question.

What are pheromones?

Pheromones are invisible chemicals released into the environment by the body. Most hormones work internally and have a direct influence exclusively on the person who secretes them, whereas pheromones act as behavior-altering agents in that they can affect other people in the proximity.

Mammals detect pheromones through the vomeronasal organ, also known as Jacobson's organ, which is located in the nose. This connects to the hypothalamus, which is located in the brain.

In the past, the importance of the human sense of smell was vastly underestimated. Humans have traditionally been thought of as essentially “optical animals,” with highly developed eyesight but a relatively undeveloped sense of smell. This assumption has received a significant adjustment in recent years.

Several investigations have demonstrated that humans do use olfactory communication and are even capable of producing and perceiving particular pheromones. Newer studies have reported that pheromones may play an essential function in human behavioral and reproduction biology.

The importance of pheromone research is remarkable, with potentially enormous repercussions. Pheromones can assist in regulating or improving mood, relaxing, reducing anxiety, and alleviating depression. They are proven to be incredibly effective in sex counseling, where they are assisting couples who are dealing with intimacy.

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What are the other actions of pheromones?

  • Attraction:
    • Pheromones are created for reasons other than sexual attraction. Numerous studies have been conducted on breastfed newborns and their moms. When two breast pads, one belonging to the mother and the other to a stranger, were placed on either side of a baby, the newborn would always gravitate toward the pad belonging to its mother. These investigations show that we can recognize each other through pheromones, which have a distinct odor.
  • Moods:
    • Pheromones influence human mood. A pheromone generated by the areolar glands in breastfeeding moms can make childless women happy, whereas the aroma secreted by fear hormones through perspiration can increase another person's worry when detected by smell.
    • According to studies, women are more relaxed around men who produce androstadiene, a hormone derived from testosterone. When men sniffed tears gathered from women crying during a sad movie, they became calmer, and their sexual desire levels decreased.

4 types of pheromones

The existence and actions of pheromones are still under research.

So far, pheromones are classified into four types, which include:

  1. Primer pheromones: Primer pheromones take longer to respond. They can alter development or reproduction physiology, such as female menstrual cycles, puberty, and pregnancy outcomes. They can change the hormone levels of other beings. Scientists discovered that pregnant females exposed to priming pheromones from another male could spontaneously abort the fetus in some species.
  2. Releaser pheromones: Releaser pheromones generate an immediate response, and the response is both quick and consistent They are frequently associated with sexual attraction.
  3. Signaler pheromones: Signaler pheromones provide specific information. They may aid the mother in recognizing her newborn through aroma. Typically, fathers are unable to do so. Our genetic odor print is communicated through signaler pheromones.
  4. Modulator pheromones: Modulator pheromones can change or synchronize physiological functions. They are most commonly found in sweat. Scientists discovered that when placed on the upper lip of female species, they became more relaxed in animal trials. Modulator hormones may affect a woman's monthly cycle.

Overall, the evidence to support the existence of pheromones in humans is poor although it cannot be completely ruled out. If human pheromones are discovered, their effects will most likely be mild.

References
Image Source: iStock Images

Pheromone: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/pheromone

Specialized chemosensory structures: https://www.britannica.com/science/chemoreception/Pheromones