Who knew birth control played a role in mate selection? According to a new study, women on the Pill are more likely to choose partners who are hard working and reliable, aka good providers, than handsome partners who are only good in the sack.

To study the role birth control pills play in love and relationships, researchers questioned 2,519 women from the United States, Czech Republic, Britain, and Canada (1,005 women who were on the pill when they met their significant other and 1,514 women who were not). The researchers asked the women, who were all in a long-term relationship and had at least one biological child with their partner, to rate their relationship with their significant other and the quality of their sex life. So what did researchers find?

"Our results show some positive and negative consequences of using the Pill when a woman meets her partner," said lead investigator Craig Roberts of Stirling University, Scotland.
"Such women may, on average, be less satisfied with the sexual aspects of their relationship but more so with non-sexual aspects. Overall, women who met their partner on the Pill had longer relationships -- by two years on average -- and were less likely to separate."

So why do women choose different partners when on the Pill? Roberts thinks oral contraceptives diminish the hormonal swings of the menstrual cycle which influence attraction. For example, when women ARE NOT on the pill they’re more likely to select hunky macho men as such fellows traditionally produce healthier offspring. However, when women ARE on the pill they’re less likely to be swayed by hormones and more likely to choose men who appear to be caring and reliable as such men traditionally make better providers.  

Worried your birth control is telling you to marry the wrong person? Roberts offers this piece of advice:

"Choosing a non-hormonal barrier method of contraception for a few months before getting married might be one way for a woman to check or reassure herself that she's still attracted to her partner," he says.

Source: NY Daily News, Photo: BirthControlBrands.org

Tags: dating and relationships, birth control, mate selection, sexual attraction
Categories: Dating stories | Stuff