Attraction, between humans, what makes it happen? What combined elements create the magnet that draw two people together? Is it visual, chemical, gold digging or comfort seeking? What makes a man fall totally in love with one woman and not the other? What makes him able to love a blonde one year and a brunette the next? What makes a curvaceous twenty year old fall in love with a sixty five year old man?

Research on attraction and dating ritual abounds in this century as before. It is now and will be an ongoing subject of study for generations to come. Perhaps some day they will be able to create a true ‘love potion’ that would make falling in love as easy as microwave-ready dinners. Just open an “MHC packet”, one that is opposite to the person you want to attract, mix with one glass of water and drink slowly. The person you wish to attract is immediately drawn to you.

Style Magazine in the Sunday Times features an amazing article by Martie G Haselton, a behavioural scientist in America. She talks about genetic research and “that each of us will be attracted to people who possess a particular set of genes, known as the major histocompatability complex (MHC), Mates with dissimilar MHC genes produce healthier offspring with broad immune systems.”

Data they’ve collected back this up showing that we tend to pick those who “suit us” that “…couples tend to be less similar in their MHC than if they had been paired randomly”.
They don’t fully understand how these people find one another, but they know that smell has a lot to do with it. Studies where people rated tee-shirts scented by “…dissimilar MHC as most attractive.” fully support the theory that a sexual chemistry does exist.

Studies on women taking hormonal contraception showed the reverse, that they chose men with similar MHC genes. In an aside she proffers some interesting advice “(best to smell him first and go on the pill afterwards)”. More chemical confirmation came when they found men rated women’s scents as “more attractive when they are near ovulation” and are “more loving to their partner as ovulation approaches.” Women prefer masculine traits when they get near ovulation while at other times in the cycle “…prefer less sexiness and more stability.”


The marketing possibilities are endless; MHC tea, MHC patches, designer MHC. Don’t forget; ovulation calculation gadgets, alarms and ring tones. And oh yes, the Cleansing MHC packet to “wash that man right outta your hair”. The rejuvenation MHC tea, for an upgrade, another adventure.


What to gather from this fascinating study? Get me a calendar! I’m gonna mark out those ovulation days and make the most of chemical pulling power! Do my own little study and see whether or not I get more attention from the male species during that time or the other cycle days. Science, you’ve got to love it. What a piece of arsenal for the huntress’ out there.

Theresa Daly