Do women smell different when they're most fertile? Scientists have finally found the answer...

Do women smell different when they're most fertile? Scientists have finally found the answer...

READ MORE: The end of men? The woman growing testicles in a test tube By Xantha Leatham Deputy Science Editor Published: 00:00, 24 July 2024 | Updated: 00:00, 24 July 2024 e-mail View comments They say scent is an important factor when it comes to first impressions. And it has long been thought that women smell more ‘attractive’ to men at times when they are most likely to conceive a baby. But the aroma of ‘femme fertile’ is a myth, according to a new study.

Researchers from Leipzig University recruited 91 men to rate the scents of 29 women aged between 20 and 30. All the women were vegetarian or vegan , did not smoke and had not been on any hormonal contraception for the last six months. It has long been thought that women smell more ‘attractive’ to men at times when they are most likely to conceive a baby.

But the aroma of ‘femme fertile’ is a myth, according to a new study Their smells were taken using cotton pads under the armpits at different stages of their menstrual cycle, and men were asked to score the smells based on attractiveness, pleasantness and intensity. Previously, it was thought that men would rate the smell as more attractive if it was taken during peak ovulatory fertility — the day before ovulation and the day that ovulation takes place. This is the time when a woman is most likely to get pregnant.

The study, however, revealed no link between a.