The chemistry of love: the role of pheromones in sexual attraction
* Pheromones play a significant role in sexual attraction, influencing mate choice and increasing the likelihood of successful reproduction.
* While not the sole
Do pheromones really have the function of sexually attracting the other person?
Is sexual attraction also influenced by odors? For years now, there has been talk of pheromones and their ability to “send messages,” especially at the level of physical attraction. But what are human pheromones? And how well are we really able to pick up on them and direct our interest toward one person over another because of these particular and specific odors?
What are pheromones
Pheromones are chemicals produced by exocrine glands that, when released into the external environment, induce certain activities within members of the same species. It is no coincidence that pheromones are essential in the animal world for communicating: not only do they play a key role in attraction and mating across species, but they can also send messages of aggression and lead to confrontation. But in the human being, what happens? On a scientific level, in fact, these chemicals have never been proven to be sexually attractive.
Pheromones in humankind: what role they play
“Some scientists claim that human pheromones do not exist. Others, however, believe in their existence and have identified them in two steroids: androstadienone, present in male sweat and semen, and estrotetraenol, found in female urine. However, rigorous experiments (1) to test its efficacy have not yielded conclusive results“, explains Dr. Daniela Botta, psychotherapist, clinical sexologist, ECPS. Institute of Clinical Sexology in Rome.
In recent years, there has been a succession of studies and research to understand the true role of pheromones between people: according to some, these substances could be given off by the body for sexual encounters and affinity, which could ensure the evolution of the species, while “according to other researchers, human pheromones exist, but are not found in the two ‘prime suspects’; instead, they could be involved in the attachment between mother and child,” Dr. Botta continues.
“Above this querelle, however, we must fundamentally remember that humans are symbolic animals and, therefore, in order to understand everything about our sexuality, we must have a biopsychosocial approach. We have to get out of an exclusively biodeterministic conception. Biology is the basis, but without taking into account the symbolic, psychological, relational and cultural world, which shapes the universe of our experiences and through which we interpret our existence, we move away from understanding the mechanisms of sexuality and human relational choices,” Dr. Daniela Botta concludes.
Certainly the body reacts to certain physical and sexual stimuli, involving the production of hormones: the dopamine, for example, is produced by the body when one feels fulfilled, so it might increase when with the partner one is experiencing a moment of particular harmony and happiness, sexual and otherwise. Similarly, in these cases the serotonin could decrease so as to lower levels of anxiety, stress and worry.
We await developments on the study of these secretions.If there is one thing that is clear in the sexual universe, it is that it is constantly evolving and that research continues to make discoveries and breakthroughs regarding the physical and sexual well-being of women and beyond. However, what moves relationships, emotions , sexual desire and falling in love, is mostly related to life experiences, couple, respect and complicity.
Sources
1) Putative sex-specific human pheromones do not affect gender perception, attractiveness ratings or unfaithfulness judgements of opposite sex faces Hare, R. M., Schlatter, S., Rhodes, G. & Simmons, L. W., 8 Mar 2017, In: Royal Society Open Science. 4, 3, 160831.
