Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Can a man tell when a woman is ovulating?
Can male visitors to Las Vegas's famous Glitter Gulch detect when lap dancers are ovulating?
(
Abby Cadaver/Flickr (cc by-nc)
)
Listen
6:03
Can a man tell when a woman is ovulating?
Ovulating dancers make the best tips. That was the finding in a study that caught the eye of UCLA Communications and Psychology professor Martie Haselton. Researchers had asked a group of professional lap dancers to record two things: the amount of money they received in nightly tips and their menstrual cycles. The result? The dancers who were ovulating made more money than the women who were not. So, Haselton asked the question: why are ovulating women more attractive to men? And, how can men tell? She addressed these questions in her paper, "Can Men Detect Ovulation?" And she talked to Madeleine about her findings.
Ovulating dancers make the best tips. That study finding caught the eye of UCLA Communications and Psychology professor Martie Haselton.
Researchers in New Mexico asked a group of professional lap dancers to record the amount of money they received in nightly tips along with their menstrual cycles. In the end the dancers who were ovulating made more money than the women who were not. So, Haselton asked the question: why are ovulating women more attractive to men? And, how can men tell? She addressed these questions in a paper, "Can Men Detect Ovulation?"
Haselton suggests that it's not a conscious realization by men, but rather a combination of unconscious physiological and behavioral changes that they detect and respond to.
When women ovulate, they experience subtle hormonal changes. They produced higher levels of estrogen, which can alter a woman's features and body odor.
In studies, men overwhelmingly preferred the body odors of women who were ovulating over odors from those who were not.
Women's voices also change during ovulation, becoming slightly higher pitched, a trait that men repeatedly associated with being sexy.
But if a man can't smell the natural odor of a woman, or hear her voice over the loud noise in a strip club, are there other factors at play?
Sponsored message
Haselton believes that it could be that women who are ovulating may behave differently as their biological impulses drive them to find a mate. But that has not been studied yet.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
