Ovulation Facts
Did you know that a woman’s voice changes when she’s ovulating? In fact, according to Science Daily, a new UCLA study shows strong evidence that female ovulation (a woman’s most fertile time of the month) brings on several subtle but observable behaviors and hidden signals subconsciously aimed at attracting the opposite sex.
Studies have shown that, in general, men tend to find higher-pitched female voices more attractive. Interestingly enough, sex hormones can alter the structure of the voice box, elevating the pitch of a woman’s voice during this most fertile time of her month.
It has long been thought that human females stand out among all the primates in that they show no obvious outward signs of being in their “fertile” phase. For example, monkey and ape females have very obvious signs of signaling their fertility to male monkeys. Their genital and buttock area swells and turns bright red (ouch). Even though human females don’t suffer from this condition (thank goodness), there is strong evidence that we do go through some physical and psychological changes during ovulation.
What Are These Changes?
Women tend to feel “sexier” during this time which can result in some very interesting subtle shifts in behavior. They may look in the mirror and feel that their facial features are looking more attractive than normal. They tend to pay more attention to their make-up, sometimes making it more dramatic to draw attention to themselves. They pick more feminine or “suggestive” clothing to wear.
In fact, according to a study by Dr. Elisabeth Oberzaucher, University of Vienna, Austria, women are more flirtatious during ovulation. Their body language and movement is more sensual. It’s important to note that this is not limited to single women. In fact, the women involved in this study who were in long-term relationships, went out for the evening with their girlfriends and were even more flirtatious during their “peak” fertility time than some of the single ladies. They chose clothing that showed more skin than they would normally display during other times of the month. They walked differently. Their dance moves were more sensual and obviously being done to make the opposite sex take notice of them.
Here’s an interesting fact! Findings show that exotic dancers (strippers) earn bigger tips during this time of the month thus strengthening the theory that female dance movements are sexier and more estrogen-charged when ovulation is happening.
Other female shifts during ovulation can include changes in body scents, sexual receptivity and odor sensitivity.
Possible Ovulation Risk-Taking Behavior?
It’s been a long-standing scientific fact that women’s preferences for more “masculine” men change throughout their menstrual cycles. Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute is the first to document measureable differences in brain activity as women considered feminized versus masculinized male faces and which one was the better potential sexual partner.
The specific area of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex is where decision-making processes takes place. It is also where the brain evaluates potential risk and reward situations. According to scientist Heather Rupp, a research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, “activation in this region of the brain corresponds with high-risk non-social choices (for example, monetary risk).” Women’s hormone levels during ovulation most definitely cause this “activation” to happen in this region of the brain.
However, there are also social risks females might take during ovulation and one of those risks could be the choice of men they decide to have sex with. Studies show that around ovulation time, women prefer more masculinized faces (which can be an indication of men with high testosterone levels).
Men with high testosterone levels are sometimes thought to have more of a tendency to abandon their offspring. So, one could say that choosing these men could be a risk to women because they are potentially not choosing the best potential parent in favor of acquiring the best genes for their potential offspring. But, then, at other times during a woman’s menstrual cycle, women tend to prefer more feminized male faces, as these men might signal more willingness to invest in potential offspring.
Other risky behavior might include a woman’s inclination to flirt with men other than their current mates and possibly even a desire to cheat.
So do men pick up on these “fertility” signals and understand what’s going on with women? Maybe subconsciously they do. Some men appear to have their “mate-guarding” radar up during this time. Others tend to be more attentive and loving towards their female mate. But the verdict is still out as to why this is exactly. Perhaps it has something to do with the way the women are dressing and acting during this period of time.
Wow, who knew that our hormones could be so subtle yet so powerful during this time of the month?
