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Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 9, 2243-2248, September 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

OPINION

Do women have a hidden heat period?

Juan J. Tarín1 and Vanessa Gómez-Piquer

Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain

This article aims to throw light on the controversial topic of whether women have a ‘heat’ period within their menstrual cycle. The majority of publications in this field report, in addition to a periovulatory peak, no changes at all or even rises in male- and female-initiated sexual activity, woman’s sexual desire, autosexual activity and sexual arousability, and interpersonal sexual activities during the mid-follicular and late luteal phases. The lack of a distinct pattern of women’s sexual behaviour across the menstrual cycle may be explained by the interplay between cyclical endocrine fluctuations and many psychological, social, cultural and environmental factors, as well as the methodological shortcomings associated with menstrual cycle research. However, studies focused on cycling changes in women’s olfactory and visual perception show that, in comparison with women at other phases of the menstrual cycle, women at mid-cycle exhibit increased sexual motivation that biases recognition performance towards objects with a sexual meaning, evaluate the unattractive sweat substance androstenone as more pleasant, and display enhanced preference for the odour and face shape of masculinized, physically attractive and symmetric men. On the other hand, men find the scent of women at mid-cycle more pleasant and sexually attractive than during the luteal phase.

Key words: estrus/estrous cycle/heat period/menstrual cycle/sexual desire

1 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Avda, Blasco Ibañez 17, Valencia 46010, Spain. E-mail: tarinjj{at}uv.es


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