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Pheromones are a chemical substance that affects most animals or insects in such a way that it triggers a natural response in a different member of the species. This behavioral response is most noticeable in the animal kingdom but there have been recent studies that have also illustrated that humans are also susceptible to pheromones much like some animals and insects are.

Actually, pheromones are not only focused as a sexual stimulus for animals. The chemical substances may also serve as an indication for danger, trail or territorial marking and others. Pheromones are usually sensed through smell which is why many researchers doubt the accuracy of the use of these chemical substances in humans initially.

Effects Of Pheromones

The efficacy of pheromones in humans has long been debated since we do not have a highly developed sense of smell like animals. Many researchers have studied the effect of human pheromones in us and it has been proven that we do produce these chemical substances and that these are also produced in pretty much the same way as in animals . The question is how they work.

A study regarding the effect of odor cues through a closely studied group of women that had something to do with their menstrual cycle was conducted. The study had the women in the group interact with each other for some time and the study illustrated that the menstrual cycle of the women in the group soon coordinated with each other. Researchers have concluded that this physical coordination has something to do with pheromones that the women unconsciously emit before, during and after their menstrual periods.

The coordination of the women’s menstrual cycle due to their close interaction of each other has proven that the odor cues that we produce affect others. Close interaction of women does affects their menstrual cycles.

Another study regarding the effect of odor cues or pheromones on the opposite sex suggested that individual people use these odor cues to select partners who are not closely related to themselves. The odor cues of the chemical substance that we produce and emit were observed from this study had something to do with the immune system. This study is about sexual selection.

The study proves that self awareness has something to do with odor cues since biologically males and females are different. Since homosexual males are attracted to heterosexual, males who have stronger pheromone emissions, then it goes to show that sexual preferences play a role in scent cues as well.

Pheromones As A Sexual Attractant

These chemical scents work not only as a link between the mother and infant and not only as a territorial maker but primarily to perpetuate the species. In animals, these substances signal the fertility of a female or fitness of a male individual and the readiness to procreate. In humans, pheromones have pretty much the same effect. It seems that our bodies are attuned to the subtle scents and without our knowledge we are attracted to a certain individual because of it.

This basic knowledge of the effects of pheromones has prompted many fragrances laced with these pheromone chemical substances to attract the opposite sex. The effect of such a fragrance has been favorable and has indeed proven that there is such a thing as a pheromone induced attraction.

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