Taking the pill does not make women less attracted to rugged men, new research suggests.
Results debunk the myth that hormonal contraception makes feminine features on men more appealing.
Previous research suggested synthetic oestrogen and progesterone in birth-control pills interfere with normal hormone production.
Past studies imply macho men are more attractive due to them being seen as more mature, masculine and dominant, which suggests they are better sexual mates.
Lead author Professor Benedict Jones, from the University of Glasgow, said: ‘We found no evidence that changes in hormone levels influence the type of men women find attractive.
‘There has been increasing concern that the birth-control pill might disrupt romantic relationships by altering women’s mate preferences, but our findings do not provide evidence of this.’
Around two-thirds of women aged between 20 and 24, and 11 per cent in their late 40s, take oral contraceptives.
Women judged the attractiveness of a ‘rugged man’ with features such as square jaw
The same images were altered to look more feminine, with narrower eyebrows and noses
DOES HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL INCREASE WOMEN’S RISK OF DEPRESSION?
Hormonal birth control does not increase women’s risk of depression, research suggested in February 2017.
Contrary to popular belief, contraceptive pills, implants or injections do not make women more likely to suffer from the mental-health condition, a study found.
Lead author Dr Brett Worly from Ohio State University, said: ‘Depression is a concern for a lot of women when they’re starting hormonal contraception.
‘Based on our findings, this side effect shouldn’t be a concern for most women, and they should feel comfortable knowing they’re making a safe choice.’
The researchers blame platforms such as social media for making contraception complications seem more common than they are.
Dr Worly said: ‘We live in a media-savvy age where if one or a few people have severe side effects, all of a sudden, that gets amplified to every single person.
‘The biggest misconception is that birth control leads to depression. For most patients that’s just not the case.’
The scientists add, however, certain women are at a greater risk of the mental-health disorder and should be monitored closely.
Dr Worly said: ‘Adolescents will sometimes have a higher risk of depression, not necessarily because of the medicine they’re taking, but because they have that risk to start with.
‘For those patients, it’s important that they have a good relationship with their healthcare provider so they can get the appropriate screening done – regardless of the medications they’re on.’
The researchers reviewed thousands of studies investigating the link between contraceptives and people’s mental health.
Such studies included various methods of contraception, including injections, implants and pills.
Participants in the trials were made up of teenagers, women with a history of depression and those who had given birth in the past six weeks.
