A scent exuded by young women as a subconscious sex attractant has been synthesised for post-menopausal women, who are finding it is luring men in droves, the British weekly New Scientist says.

Forty-four women took part in an experiment to see whether the pheromone an odour received by heterosexual men as a sign of mating availability worked for females beyond child-bearing age.

Half the group added a chemical copy of the pheromone to their perfume, while the other added a lookalike dummy compound.

None of the participants knew whether they were getting the real ingredient or the fake.

For the next six weeks, the women kept diaries. Among the pheromone users, 41 per cent reported they experienced more petting, kissing and affection with partners, compared with 14 per cent among the placebo group.

Overall, 68 per cent of the pheromone groups reported increases in at least four "intimate socio-sexual behaviours," such as sex and formal dates. In the placebo group, only 41 per cent reported increases.

The report, carried in next Saturday's New Scientist, is based on a study in a specialist publication, The Journal of Sex Research. The research was carried out by Harvard University's Joan Friebely and Massachusetts doctor Susan Rako.

What exactly is in the chemical is secret for the time being. The pheromone's discoverer, biologist Winnifred Cutler, is keeping its identity confidential until patents have been granted for her organisation, the Athena Institute for Women's Wellness Research in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.

If the synthetic pheromone ever goes to market, joining other duplicates of human body odours advertising specialists have a challenge on their hands. The secret odour does not come from the essence of alpine flowers or exotic spices so beloved of perfume ads to create a romantic image: it was isolated from a young woman's armpit sweat.

Also on Discovery Channel http://dsc.discovery.com/news/afp/20050124/armpit.html

Scent 'restores youthful allure' A mystery chemical signal that young women give off appears to work for post-menopausal women too.

A Harvard University researcher added the pheromone to the perfume of older women and found it had a positive effect on their romantic lives.

New Scientist magazine reports they had more dates or affection from their partners if they used the treated scent rather than a dummy version.

Other experts said they needed to know more about how the chemical might work.

Pheromones are natural scent signals which alter animal behaviour.

In the animal kingdom they are widely used to attract mates, but controversy surrounds their effect on humans.

Joan Friebely, of Harvard University, and Susan Rako, a private doctor in Newton, Massachusetts, studied 44 post-menopausal women.

Half were given perfume with added Athena Pheromone 10:13, originally isolated from a woman's armpit sweat. The rest used untreated perfume.

The women were then asked to keep diaries for six weeks.

'Secret'

The study, also published in the Journal of Sex Behaviour, said 41% of pheromone users reported more kissing and affection from their partners, compared with 14% who had the dummy perfume.

In addition, 68% of pheromone users reported increases in one of four "intimate socio-sexual behaviours", such as formal dates and intercourse, compared with 41% on the placebo dose.

However, Winnifred Cutler, who discovered the pheromone, has said she will keep its true identity secret until patents have been granted to her Women's Wellness Research Centre, in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.

Other researchers say until they know what the pheromone is, its use cannot be confirmed.

George Preti, of the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said: "It's still a mystery substance being applied to individuals at unknown concentrations."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/4209883.stm

Published: 2005/01/27 00:57:43 GMT