Contraceptive pill could make you let go of Mr Right

If you have settled down with Mr Right, be warned there’s something in your bathroom cabinet that could make you take him for granted. Research suggests that taking the contraceptive Pill makes women less competitive with each other, meaning they are less likely to fight to keep their ideal man. As researchers said women should be made aware that the Pill can have psychological, as well as physical, side-effects, other experts urged women not to throw away their supplies. Accodring to Daily Mail, The team from the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, studied a group of young women when they were taking the Pill and when they came off it. On each occasion the volunteers, who were aged between 20 and 31, filled in questionnaires designed to measure intra-sexual competition – or whether they viewed other women as friends or foes. They found that women in a relationship were less competitive when they were on the Pill, making them less likely to fight to keep their partner if another woman comes along to turn his head. They believe this is because the oral contraceptive, taken by millions, suppresses testosterone, a hormone that fuels rivalry in both sexes. Among single women, they believe the desire to meet a mate could override the hormonal influence of the Pill. Dr Allan Pacey, a fertility expert at Sheffield University, said the ‘intriguing’ study warranted further research. But he added: ‘I don’t think there’s sufficient evidence for doctors to start issuing a health warning to women.’ Writing in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, Researcher Kelly Cobey said: ‘If hormonal contraceptive use reduces a natural propensity for partnered women to compete for mates it may mean that many women in our contemporary population, where hormonal contraceptive use is widespread, have a reduced ability to attract new mates or to maintain their existing partner. ‘In light of our findings, women using hormonal contraceptives may be at a disadvantage in that they are less likely to seek out or switch to a new partner from whom they might acquire additional benefits. "Women who use hormonal contraceptives may settle and start families with partners who they otherwise would not." However, other experts questioned her interpretation of her results – and pointed out some highly competitive women like to take the pill because it frees them from pre-menstrual tension and other problems that can hold them back. -Adapted from Daily Mail