Several lubricants claim to contain human sex pheromones, but there's some controversy about whether these pheromones actually exist--or whether they function in the same way as animal pheromones.
Pheromones are chemical cues processed through taste and smell. For more than half of a century, scientists have gathered a wealth of interesting information about various animals and how they use these cues. For example, honey bees use pheromones to communicate.
Moths often fall into pheromone traps while looking for a mate. Some bird species use sex pheromones to distinguish between male and female birds, and pigs use pheromones when mating. However, when it comes to humans, these chemical cues are a little harder to pin down.
We know that smell plays a role in human sex, but to what degree? And can lubricants with sex pheromones act as aphrodisiacs? To get the answers, we need to look at what science knows about pheromones (and, more importantly, what it doesn't know).
Science and Human Sex Pheromones
The most famous research concerning human pheromones is probably a 1971 study by psychologist Martha McClintock, which hypothesized that when multiple women live together near, their menstrual cycles fall in sync.
Unfortunately, it was a flawed study--researchers can't replicate McClintock's results. There were several serious problems with her experiment--but it paved the way for numerous other human sex pheromone studies.
Today, there's plenty of ongoing research on the subject, but the scientific study of human pheromones is inherently difficult. To get accurate results, scientists need to establish a control group--in this case, a group of people who aren't excreting pheromones.
Non-pheromone smells might also change the results of studies, so scientists need participants who don't smell at all. If you've been to a gym lately, you know that this is a difficult proposition. This is also why studies suggest that pheromones play an active role in sex tend to take on a lot of criticism: their results are tough to replicate.
With that being said, here's what we do know (or what we think we know):
- Pheromones appear to be species-specific, although some pheromones are found in humans as well as other mammals. Androstenol, a neurosteroid, is a notable example; it's commonly found in pigs and humans.
- Some pheromones are gender-specific, although some are found in both men and women. Male-produced hormones appear to have more of an effect on females than on males and vice-versa.
- While pheromones probably do not make people appear more attractive, they may stimulate sexual behavior by enhancing mood. Most research indicates that the mood-enhancing effects of pheromones work for both homosexual and heterosexual people.
- There's no research specifically addressing lubricants with added sex pheromones, so it's difficult to determine whether or not lubricants would be an effective way to apply those pheromones.
At this point, it's important to realize that if pheromones do have a part to play in human sexuality, it's probably a fairly minor role. Humans are very visual and much more complex than pheromone-driven animals like moths and honey bees by nature. A strong scent is probably less important to us than our hormone levels and our partners' psychological and physical compatibility.
Humans consider dozens of factors when choosing potential mates; everything from personality traits to clothing choices can change our partners' perception. Pheromones probably can't override the mental processes that we use when we're dating and hooking up.
On the other hand, the human pheromones used in commercial lubricants test very safely, so if you'd like to experiment, go ahead. At most, you'll enjoy slightly better sex, and at worst, you'll enjoy the added lubrication. Just don't expect a life-changing experience (unless you're a moth).