Peaked Fertility Lessens Outward Sexuality - a Woman's Perspective

Associated Content producer Timothy Sexton's recent article New Research Indicated that Women Have a Sexier Walk During the Peak of their Period sparked some serious interest in yours truly. This article related to me on many levels but I thought research leader Meghan Provost should have been less surprised by the results being a woman herself. Or maybe Sexton being male was more surprised than Provost, which set that specific tone in his article.

The results of her study concluded that women appear more outwardly sexual when not especially fertile, a.k.a. on her period. Provost's theory was the same one I had thought of before flipping to page 2 of Sexton's article and it was rather odd that she needed research results to confirm what every woman already knows. In my womanly opinion, it only makes sense that women would be pickier about whose attention is attracted at the time of fertilization - when it matters the most.

Despite the results I was left wondering if all women experience this peak of sexuality or if women with previous negative male experiences would react the same way and just how diverse was Provost's study group to begin with? Could past male-related trauma be enough to turn off this biological feature? So many questions.

While our basic biological functions may be the same, women are inevitably quite different from each other physically, mentally and sexually, which will unavoidably alter the signals sent at the low and high points of fertility each month.

A woman with healthy sexuality (one whose sexuality hasn't been scarred by incest, rape general abuse, poor self image or religious-stemmed neuroses) will be on the lookout for that perfect mate during the height of fertility whether she realizes it or not. At that important time it's her choice who she allows into her clutches and the body language will be saved specifically for deserving men, so of course reservations in body language are experienced and expected.

One must also take into account other internal physical responses felt by women. Just because women are Fertile Myrtle that day doesn't mean they feel well and if that's the case they might not want to exhibit. Women may experience some cramping, a general feeling of being overworked or rundown and even increased normal vaginal discharge which makes no one feel sexy thankyouverymuch [sic]. While I fully agree with the study's outcome, I believe women with these experiences will react a different way.

On the other hand some women might feel a rush of vitality and validity not normally felt the rest of the month, which is probably the norm.

Meanwhile, during the height of our fertility our perceptions change and we see men differently. Men that women found aesthetically pleasing earlier in the month are now trumped by men promoting intelligence, kindness and stability.

Before the-cup-is-half-empty types jump to the comments section to equate stability with a nest egg and drone on about female greediness, I would like to point our that stability is a very individual perception. Yes, it can come in the form of monetary stability but it can also come in the form of kindness if a woman experienced abuse as an adult or a child at the hands of a man. It can present in the form of intelligence if women are exhausted from a pattern of men who still have not evolved from troglodytes. Maturity counts as stability too. Good traits like the ones mentioned above can trump a pretty face and a toned six-pack so fast it will make your head spin.

I also believe some women are more tuned into these differences than others and I consider myself to be highly intuitive and this awareness first struck me at an early age as I was always aware of pheromones at the peak of my fertility when I first matured. Ironically (or not) kind and witty guys were the ones with this yummy scent. I never noticed similar attractions with other men.

When I was in my twenties I was attracted to pretty boys but when I felt my biological clock tick each month I was well aware of the more important qualities to look for in men and tended to date these "nice guys" more often than not.

Then the year I began dating my husband at the ripe old age of 23, my biological clock seemed to be going crazy and I was on the lookout for the perfect guy. When I "found" him ("found" despite working with him for about four years previously) I flirted wildly knowing I was extremely fertile and very aware of my sexuality and tended to avoid interactions other men. Besides from having all of those great qualities I mentioned, I know pheromones were once again at the forefront of the attraction.

Besides from a natural tendency to appear less swishy in the hips in order to not attract the wrong kind of guy, perhaps some kind of reserve sexual energy is being stored at the height of monthly fertilization and the pheromones from the right guy release the sexual beast within.

Now the question is, do happily-married women with children react the same way as singles? Do women in bad marriages act the same way as their free and single counterparts? Do lesbians experience the same flirty highs and lows in their cycle despite having an innate urge not to mate with a male, therefore negating the basic purpose of fertility? Is it possible for an abused woman to unconsciously react oppositely? Do some women feel decidedly unsexy when having to worry about how much life their tampon has left before a very bloody/embarrassing moment and therefore feel too uncomfortable and awkward to turn on the swish? I think more research could be done in these areas.

What about me? I feel my sexiest about a week before my period begins and I've always felt that way despite transitioning from singleton to being happily married with kids. I get that rush I spoke of and turn on the swish full-force because I feel so energetic and attractive. I feel less than human, let alone the slightest bit sexy on my period and do everything I can not to be noticed. I'd stay at home all week if I could. I guess I go against the grain regarding this matter.

Provost's study will be featured in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.