The belief that men can detect when women are ovulating by their scent has been a pervasive idea in both popular culture and scientific circles. However, a recent study conducted by researchers in Germany challenges this notion, suggesting that the link between female fertility and body odor may not be as strong as previously thought.

Pheromone theory

For years, studies have claimed that men could sense changes in a woman’s body odor, supposedly becoming more attractive during her fertile period. These claims were rooted in the idea that hormonal changes during ovulation would alter a woman’s scent. As is the case in other species, it would signal her fertility to potential mates. However, the latest research paints a different picture.

Researchers from Leipzig University and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology conducted a comprehensive study involving 29 women and 91 men. The women, aged 20 to 30, were monitored throughout their menstrual cycles. The team collected armpit odor samples at various stages and then had men rate the attractiveness, pleasantness, and intensity of these scents.

The study spanned ten days for each woman including the fertile window. Urinary ovulation tests and hormone level assessments confirmed this window. The results indicated no significant differences in the chemical makeup of body odor across the menstrual cycle. There was also no significant variation in men’s ratings of the odors based on the women’s fertility status.

Overall, this suggests that the idea of a detectable “fertility scent” might be more myth than reality.

More of a myth?

“Together, our results showed no convincing support for a chemical fertility cue in women’s axillary odour, questioning the presence of olfactory fertility information that is recognizable during first encounters in modern humans,” the researchers wrote.

Previous studies have suggested that men find the scent of ovulating women more attractive. For instance, a 2011 study from the University of California claimed that men showed a preference for the body odor of fertile women. However, the new study’s lead author, Madita Zetzsche, emphasizes the need to re-evaluate these findings. She points out that earlier research often lacked direct assessments of reproductive hormones and did not consistently verify the timing of ovulation.

The German study took a more rigorous approach and used advanced techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. By carefully analyzing the chemical profiles of the body odors, the researchers believe their assessment is more accurate and objective.

However, the study does not entirely rule out the possibility of subtle cues. It’s possible that other factors, such as prolonged exposure to a partner’s scent, could reveal more about fertility signals.

The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.