You Smell So Fertile

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Who needs ovulation predictor kits when you've got your own B.O. to announce your most fertile days?

The Scoop

OK, so it may not be as scientific as other available methods of fertility tracking, but a UCLA study found that men who smelled female armpit odor samples were able to detect women's high-fertility versus low-fertility days.

Weird science, anyone? In the study, women wore wear gauze pads in their armpits during different days of their menstrual cycles. Researchers then placed these odor samples in bottles for men to smell. At rates significantly better than chance, men were able to tell the difference between samples collected at women's most versus least fertile days. And the kicker? Men liked what they smelled, rating high-fertility odors as "more attractive." This effect was even stronger when guys smelled odor samples collected from women who were in a relationship.

How Does the Nose Know?

How can a guy's nose know so much about female fertility? Researchers note that "exposure to women's high-fertility body scents may increase men's testosterone levels and prime certain mating-related mental processes." In other words, subtle changes in your body odor during ovulation may be enough to drive your guy wild at precisely the right time for baby-making.

What exactly is it that changes body odor when you're most fertile? Other studies have pinpointed changes in pheromones around the time of ovulation. These hormones released from both men and women are believed to promote sexual feelings and urges.