Pheromones and sexual attraction:

Pheromones are chemicals produced by animals that stimulate a response in other animals of the same species. In humans, the primary function of pheromones is to increase sexual attraction. Later in the book we will discuss a specific class of pheromones called copulins that, as the name suggests, stimulate the desire to copulate. Now let’s explore how some other pheromones play a more general role in sexual appeal.

A cologne called Realm^® contains a “feel-good” pheromone that enhances camaraderie and one's sense of well-being. Realm^® comes in two types: one intended for application on men, and another intended for application on women. The men's version enhances male well-being; the woman's version enhances female well-being. Seems strange, doesn't it? After all, the purpose of wearing cologne is the attraction of a mate, so it seems logical to assume that the male version would enhance a female's sense of well-being, so that women who are in proximity to a pheromonally supplemented man would feel good while they are in his presence. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a man could apply Realm^® for Women and increase his success in dating. The people who manufacture Realm^® are certainly bright enough to realize that, so why don't they just do the apparently logical thing and have the male version attract women, and vice versa? Repeat after me, attorneys. Repeat after me, lawsuits. Yes, folks, we live in America, the land where manufacturers of lawn mowers are sued if they do not emblazon their mowers with a half-dozen stickers warning there is actually a moving blade beneath the mower deck, and this moving blade is potentially dangerous. No kidding? So that's what cuts the grass, eh? The manufacturer of Realm^® is worried that the same type of attorneys who sue lawn mower manufacturers who secretly hide dangerous rotating blades will sue them, alleging their client never would have fallen for the con man, mass-murderer, or VD-infested scumbag, were it not for the overwhelming attraction elicited by the pheromone. Hence, by labeling the male “feel-good” version for use on males, the manufacturer can honestly claim that Megan's attraction for Steve had nothing to do with their product. Of course, they know you are smart enough to figure out which version you would like to wear, but they didn't tell you that, right?

If you wish to expand your knowledge of fun facts to know and tell about pheromones, read on. The organ responsible for pheromone detection is the vomeronasal organ (VNO), which is bilaterally located on the floor of the nose. The VNO was once thought to be vestigial, but several independent researchers demonstrated that it is functional, providing a true sixth sense. Some scientists dispute whether humans actually have a VNO, yet humans undoubtedly respond to pheromones. So what detects the pheromones? The answer to this mystery may be provided by neuroscientist Larry Katz and his colleagues from Duke University who discovered that pheromones trigger a response from the main olfactory system in mice. This suggests that humans may detect pheromones through their regular sense of smell.

Pheromone response is to some degree, but certainly not absolutely, gender-specific. Realm^® for Women contains the pheromone androstadienone, and Realm^® for Men contains estratetraenol. Male VNO response to Realm^® for Women is approximately 40% of the female response, and female response to Realm^® for Men is about 40% of the male response. Got that? This blurring of gender specificity no doubt proves to be unsettling to Erox, the manufacturer of Realm^®, for the reason mentioned above. Notwithstanding any corporate paranoia over liability and their attempted mitigation of this problem by obfuscating the obvious gender utilization of their products, Erox should be justifiably proud of their accomplishments. In fact, if my vote means anything, I will even go so far as to nominate them for a Nobel Prize. Intelligently used, pheromones are far more than a somewhat underhanded means of increasing intersexual attraction. They can enhance the perception of well-being, making the recipient feel more cheerful, less irritable, less depressed, and imparting a feeling of a perpetual internal smile — at least, until the cologne wears off. If they do not believe this already, it can make a person feel that life is indeed worth living. By reducing stress, pheromones can indirectly improve immune function, help build muscle, reduce cardiovascular risk, and even combat skin diseases such as acne in which stress plays a role.

Before leaving this subject, I have a few more pragmatic tips on the use of Realm^®:

■ Don't think that you can apply Realm^® and then walk by a person of the opposite sex, expecting them to decide that you are, after all, the one for them. Pheromones can induce a feeling of pleasure in the recipient, but this perception may or may not be attributed to your presence. According to the tenets of contemporary psychology, the attribution of a recognized nexus between you and the perception of happiness is more likely to develop in the pheromone recipient as the number of these exposures increases, enhancing the development of a learned response. Furthermore, the chance that an effect will be elicited on any occasion is improved when the pheromone emitter is close to the recipient, and this proximity is maintained for at least several minutes. Obviously, it helps to choose a location without strong air currents. Having dinner together in a restaurant, or watching a movie while sitting side-by-side, would be ideal circumstances in which to employ pheromonal attraction.

■ Given the lack of absolute gender specificity discussed earlier, it is reasonable to expect that concomitant use of Realm^® for Men and Realm^® for Women would evoke a response that is greater than what could be achieved by the use of just one pheromone cologne. Another advantage to using both types of Realm^® at the same time is that it helps camouflage the fact that the scent of Realm^® for Men is masculine, while the scent of Realm^® for Women is feminine. In the future, Erox may release an unscented pheromone concentrate that you can add to your favorite cologne or perfume. One company is already selling such a product, but they use different pheromones that, in my opinion, have no discernible effect.

■ Consider, if you will, the ethics of the enhancement of intersexual attraction. On the face of it, it may seem that such a technique is underhanded, and it smacks of fraudulent deception. Hmmm . . . . That was my initial impression, too, but the more I thought about this matter, the more I realized this was no different in intent than make-up, a pair of nice jeans, or a Wonderbra^®.

■ At the time of this writing, the price for a bottle of Realm^® is $50. Before you gasp and go into cardiac arrest, let me assure you that a little of this stuff goes a long way. The $50, I figure, will buy you one heck of a good year, or about as much improvement as can be reasonably expected from the marvels of modern chemistry. By the way, ol' Pezzi doesn't have the slightest financial interest in Erox; I am touting their products because they made a believer out of me.

■ You need not purchase pheromones to benefit from them. You make pheromones, too. These pheromones can be even more effective than commercial pheromones — assuming you do not decimate your pheromone production and dissipation, as most of us do (a subject we will cover in a minute).

Researchers found that when pheromones from male perspiration were applied to the upper lips of women, they became more relaxed. The male underarm secretion extracts also stimulated the release of luteinizing hormone (LH), a hormone that helps regulate the menstrual cycle and libido. LH levels typically surge before ovulation, a time when the sexual desire often peaks, not coincidentally.

 Getting the most out of your natural pheromones:

Hoping to increase their sexual appeal, some people shave their pubic or axillary (armpit) hair. Trimming hair at either site may put you at a biological disadvantage. One of the physiological functions of hair is to act as “antennae” to broadcast pheromones. These pheromones, primarily produced in the pubic and axillary areas, enhance sexual attraction. Removal of hair from these areas reduces the available surface area from which pheromones can radiate. Imagine your car with its radiator fins removed — heat from the engine would not dissipate as readily. Your engine might overheat and die. You won't die if your pheromones don't waft into the nostrils of potential mates, but your love life may not be as exciting as it might have been.

Until they drift off into the air, pheromones are present on the skin and in sweat. Men produce more sweat — and more pheromones — than women. The pheromone content of sweat may be one reason why women find sweat to be a turn on, especially in certain circumstances. For example, a few years ago I had a relationship with a woman who derived a great deal of pleasure from prolonged intercourse — often an hour or more. Given that I was the one doing most of the work, so to speak, it is not surprising that I became literally soaked with sweat. Having been raised in an American culture that often defines sweat as being offensive, I was mortified that she would be repelled by it and I apologized for my sweatiness. Her response shocked me. Not only did she not mind the sweat, she exclaimed, “I love it!”

Since natural odors are often perceived as being offensive and hence worthy of annihilation by soaps, shampoos, antiperspirants, and deodorants, people who wish to maximize their pheromone production face something of a Catch-22 because many pheromones are produced not directly by us but instead as waste byproducts of bacteria that reside upon our bodies and feast on dead skin cells, sebum, and other debris. Thus, by washing before a date or other potentially romantic encounter, you may be decimating your sexual appeal (especially if your soap contains triclosan, a chemical that kills bacteria). A partial solution to this problem is to apply supplemental pheromones after your shower or bath. Pheromone production can also be reduced by topical or oral antibiotics.

While advertising mavens have inculcated the notion that antiperspirants and deodorants are critical to successful intersexual relationships, the fact remains that these products can interfere with some of the basic chemical signals that draw men and women together. Deodorants destroy the harmless bacteria that normally reside on the skin and create pheromones, while antiperspirants block the sweat gland ducts that supply those bacteria with one of their raw materials. I will not argue that most Americans would maintain that some of the odors associated with pheromone production are rather pungent, but this is a learned response. Do you really think that cave women went around telling cave men that their odors were repulsive? I doubt it, but I’m certain that I can never erase the message that has been imprinted by countless advertisements and movies. Perhaps a reasonable compromise is to reduce antiperspirant and deodorant use and accept a somewhat more natural smell as being an accouterment to the augmentation of your sexual appeal.

If you are a man who wishes to forgo the use of antiperspirants and deodorants, the best time to try this is when your partner is near ovulation. Research has shown that ovulating women are more receptive to natural odors.

Because the pubic and axillary areas are two of the primary sites at which pheromones are produced, the effectiveness of pheromones is increased by activities that juxtapose those sites to the nose. Putting your arm around a person you are sitting next to is an ideal way to ensure that your pheromones are received. Another such activity is oral sex. Some women are reluctant to allow a man to perform cunnilingus because they’re uncomfortable about their vulvar odor. If the odor is indeed objectionable, it is a sign of an infection or poor hygiene. Just as smegma can develop beneath the foreskin of uncircumcised men who are not diligent about washing that area every day, bacteria can flourish in the folds of the vulva, especially if the woman is obese or wears clothing that inhibits evaporation. Assuming that a woman washes her vulva daily and does not wear occlusive clothing, any unpleasant smell is likely due to an infection. Incidentally, the often-maligned “fishy smell” is indicative of an infection (unless you have a rare genetic disorder called trimethylaminuria or you take some types of choline supplements).

 The sexual effects of pheromones:

In a dose of 50 to 150 mg 20 minutes before sex, niacin has been reputed to enhance vaginal lubrication, sexual flush, and orgasm intensity. The first two are quite possible, but I have justifiable skepticism about the latter point. A few people attempted to form a logical nexus between something that is a manifestation of sexual excitement (the sexual flush) and orgasm quality. While there are a number of factors that contribute to the intensity of orgasm, and sexual excitement is one of them, augmenting indices of sexual excitement (such as flushing, sweating, and heart rate) cannot enhance sexual pleasure. A speedometer needle moves when a car is driven, but pushing the speedometer needle with your finger will not budge a car at all. That’s obvious, but proponents of the “take niacin for better orgasms” hypothesis are claiming something that is equally ludicrous:  by taking niacin and getting a better flush (analogous to pushing the speedometer needle), your orgasms will improve (analogous to having the car move just because its speedometer needle was pushed). Unfortunately, the body does not work that way, and neither do cars.

This physiological malapropism reminds me of the pheromone colognes that were marketed in the late 1970s. Pheromones are chemicals produced by animals that stimulate a response in other animals of the same species. In this case, scientists identified a pheromone that caused the recipient's heart to beat faster and more forcefully. In a wild and unjustifiable extrapolation of logic, incorporation of this pheromone into men's colognes was supposed to make the hearts of nearby women beat faster and more strongly. And that it did. Since forceful beating of the heart is something people experience when they fall in love, this stimulation of the heart was supposed to make the pheromone recipient believe that she was falling in love with a certain person just because her heart went into overdrive when that person was around. Ha! We're not talking about moths or birds, we're talking about women! I don't think that anyone is so “cerebrally challenged” as to mistake an increase in heart rate with feelings of love. In medical school, my heart rate must have doubled whenever I saw a certain female Professor of Surgery, yet the thought of love never crossed my mind. Far from it — she was so abrasive that she’d make a Marine drill sergeant seem like a charm school graduate.

While that pheromone may have been a dud, there are pheromones which play some role in sexual attraction. A subclass of pheromones called copulins has been identified in vaginal secretions just before ovulation, which are thought to play a role in stimulating the sexual interest of males. Since women are most apt to become pregnant around ovulation, it is not surprising that nature has contrived a means to facilitate intercourse at that time.

Interestingly, copulin production is reduced by the Pill and by antibiotics (1). Women who are on the Pill or antibiotics, or women who are at a phase in their menstrual cycle in which copulin production is low, might benefit from using synthetic copulins (available from www.love-scent.com) to enhance their sexual appeal. Women who are ovulating would not be appreciably helped by spritzing on some copulins, since they have about as much need for additional copulins as Eskimos have a need for iceboxes. However, Paul Spinrad, author of The RE/Search Guide to Bodily Fluids, said that only one-third of women produce copulins. If that is true, then the two-thirds of women who do not produce copulins might especially benefit from using synthetic copulins. Incidentally, copulins don’t necessarily have to be applied to women to be effective; synthetic copulins could be applied to a man who wished to boost his libido.

Some research suggests that the mechanism by which copulins achieve their effect is by increasing testosterone production in men (2). The proximity of the nose (site of the pheromone receptors) to the vagina may explain why many men find cunnilingus to be so stimulating, since this maximizes pheromone reception. Some European women dab their vaginal juices on areas in which perfume is traditionally applied, such as on the neck and behind the ears. This rationale for this is obvious:  by juxtaposing copulins to the man’s nose, a greater dose is delivered.

One author speculated that the supposed male preference for blondes and redheads is attributable to their higher production of copulins. Though entertaining, there is no scientific support for this theory. Research does suggest that the heightened attraction evoked by copulins is more apt to benefit women who are less attractive than women who are very attractive. Presumably, men are so revved up by just looking at gorgeous women that adjunctive attractants such as copulins elicit relatively little additional appeal. Since copulins do more to enhance the appeal of women who aren’t stunning, in effect they decrease the importance of optical attractiveness and hence help level the playing field in the competition for men.

Failure to respond to copulins or other pheromones may result from a variety of causes such as nasal infections or allergies, smoking, certain genetic defects, head injuries in which the olfactory nerves are sheared, and possibly incipient Alzheimer’s disease.

My introduction to copulins came years before I heard that term. One of the nurses with whom I worked made a birthday cake for me. I ate a piece of it after getting off work, then made the long drive (2½ hours) home with the remainder of the cake sitting on the passenger’s seat. During my trip I became ravenous — not for food, but for sex. This shocked me because my libido had been disappointingly low for years, and now I was burning with passion and far hornier than I’d ever been as a teenager. What also surprised me was that when I later masturbated my sexual sensation was markedly more intense than it had been for the past decade, and perhaps more than it had ever been. The occurrence of such a profound and unexpected sexual rejuvenation so soon after eating that cake made me wonder, “What on Earth was in that cake?”

I eagerly awaited seeing the nurse who made the cake so I could ask her. When I learned the ingredients, nothing rang a bell — nothing to explain the effect that cake had on my sex drive. The nurse smiled knowingly, as if she knew more than what she’d told me. I pressed her for more details, told her about the reaction that cake triggered, and begged for more information. She told me it was “just a cake” (yeah, right), and gave me that same smile. I repeatedly tried to pry the information out of her — every time, I received the same “it’s just a cake” answer and the smile that said otherwise. I’d eaten cake on hundreds of prior occasions, and that had not stimulated my libido or sensation the slightest bit. This cake was different. But how?

The next step was to make a list of the constituents of each ingredient. Again, nothing rang a bell until years later when I read about the chemical makeup of the various copulins. I immediately recalled one of those chemicals as being a constituent in one of the cake ingredients. Eureka! I’d finally made a connection to explain this heretofore unsolved mystery.

In reality, eating that cake probably did not do anything for me. What helped was the odor (or, more precisely, the vapor), since copulins are disseminated through the air. I did not realize it at the time, but having that cake so close to me in a small closed space (my car) for so long was a great way to magnify the copulin concentration in the air. Bigger dose, bigger response.

I will discuss the subject of copulins in much more detail in the Question & Answer section at the end of the book.

 Vaginal copulins:

These chemicals, which stimulate the sexual interest of nearby males, are discussed in more detail elsewhere in this book. Besides increasing libido, copulins also augment sexual pleasure. In general, the hornier you are, the better sex feels. However, in some people (especially men with initially low testosterone levels) the libido boost is dwarfed by the increase in sexual sensation, leading me to conclude that copulins have a specific effect, not just an indirect effect in which increased libido leads to increased pleasure. This is illustrated by the following case history provided by a man who read an earlier edition of this book:

Copulin production can be decreased by an estrogen deficiency, taking the Pill or antibiotics, or douching. It is important to remember that copulins do nothing until they lock onto receptors in the nose of a nearby male. Consequently, dissemination of copulins is just as important as production. Thus, women should avoid trimming pubic hair, especially that which immediately surrounds the vaginal opening. Those hairs can wick away secretions and accelerate evaporation. To some extent, heavy and/or occlusive clothing can also hinder transmission of the copulins. And let’s not neglect one of the most important factors:  physical proximity. The closer a man’s nose is to the vagina, the greater the copulin “dose” he will receive. If your husband claims he is too tired for sex, have him rest his head on your lap instead of a pillow; he just might change his mind! 

 Copulin Q & A:

Q: How does a woman know if she produces copulins or if she needs supplemental copulins?

A: If cost is no object, you could have your vaginal secretions analyzed by a lab. For most people that is not a feasible option, so they must be more ingenious and determine the likelihood of their copulin production by analyzing clues and probabilities. That may sound difficult, but it is not.

A woman is less likely to produce copulins if she:

·    ■ Uses oral contraceptives.

·    ■ Uses (or has recently used) antibiotics. If your doctor wishes to prescribe an antibiotic, ask him if it is truly needed. In some countries (most notably the United States) antibiotics are grossly overutilized, fueled by the desire of doctors to avoid litigation and to kowtow to patients who are often viewed as consumers in need of wooing. If an antibiotic is needed, tell your doctor that you would prefer one selected to kill the specific bacteria causing the infection, not a broad-spectrum antibiotic (3). In addition to minimizing the impact on the natural flora of bacteria in your vagina and gastrointestinal tract, this minimizes the risk of bacterial resistance (which is both a personal concern and a menace to society).

·    ■ Douches (this reduces the number of beneficial bacteria in the vagina, similar to the effect of antibiotics). Incidentally, even vinegar or plain water douches deplete the vaginal flora. Many “feminine hygiene” products have a similar effect.

·    ■ Bathes instead of showering.

·    ■ Uses soap that contains the antibacterial agent triclosan (as many now do). This is more of a problem in women who bathe instead of showering, but it can affect the vaginal flora even with showering, depending on a number of factors: the concentration of triclosan in the soap, how much is used, how much gets into the vulvar folds and wicks its way into the vagina, how well the woman rinses, and the hardness of her water (4).

·    ■ Swims or otherwise uses a pool or hot tub, especially ones that contain chlorinated water.

·    ■ Uses tampons.

·    ■ Uses Vaseline^® (or other brand of petroleum jelly, a.k.a., petrolatum) as a sexual lubricant. This can affect copulin production by altering vaginal flora. Other sex lubes may do this, too, but petrolatum is not water soluble, and it tenaciously clings to the vaginal lining.

·    ■ Is postmenopausal or is otherwise deficient in estrogen.

·    ■ Her partner does not seem especially eager to have sex. Granted, there are many factors that influence intersexual attraction, but some of the chemistry between men and women is chemistry, and copulins are part of that chemistry. Incidentally, a man’s sexual interest is not always directly expressed. A man who holds a burning passion for you is not only more likely to be affectionate and outwardly lustful, he is also more likely to be attentive, more thoughtful and considerate, sweeter, and in general more willing to bend over backwards to please you. He is also less likely to be unfaithful.

·    ■ Her partner does not obtain intense sexual pleasure from intercourse. This assumes that the man can respond to copulins, and that he has no major diseases or conditions that interfere with his sexual pleasure. Otherwise, if copulins are present, a woman could have poor vaginal sensate characteristics and the man should still be able to obtain very gratifying stimulation from contacting even a callused hand, thanks to his heightened libido and sexual sensitivity.

Here are a few more points to keep in mind:

·    ■ Even if you do produce copulins, their production varies throughout the menstrual cycle. Research indicates that they peak just before ovulation, which is fine if your only goal is to get pregnant. If you wish to elicit more sexual interest from your partner at other times, or if you want to do everything possible so he is more apt to treat you like a queen, you may wish to supplement with synthetic copulins (available from www.love-scent.com). Copulins are not a sexual or relationship panacea, but they can add that “something extra” which makes a relationship sparkle.

·    ■ Paul Spinrad, author of The RE/Search Guide to Bodily Fluids, contends that only one-third of women produce copulins. This may seem implausible, but it meshes with my experience (and the experience of many other men) that some women possess an irresistible “something extra” that cannot be explained on the basis of their appearance, personality, or intellect. Furthermore, copulins are produced by bacteria, and women differ in the types and amounts of vaginal bacteria normally present. I’ll expand on this topic in the next section.

·    ■ Some women eat yogurt (or instill it into their vaginas) to replenish the beneficial bacteria killed by douching or use of antibiotics. A typical yogurt containing live cultures usually includes three species of bacteria:  Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus. For years, Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) was thought to be the primary beneficial bacteria species in the vagina. Hence, the rationale for using yogurt is that since yogurt contains LA, use of it could restore the vaginal flora and hence “crowd out” harmful bacteria. However, microbiologists now know that there are over 60 species of lactobacilli, and most of the lactobacilli in the vagina are Lactobacillus crispatis (LC), Lactobacillus jensenii (LJ), and less frequently Lactobacillus gasseri (LG), all of which are species with different metabolic characteristics than LA. Those bacteria feed off glycogen in the vagina and produce bacteriocins (5), hydrogen peroxide, and lactic acid that acidifies the vagina, lowering its pH (6) to around 3.8 to 4.4. This acidity is optimal for lactobacilli but inhibitory for most bacteria and other infectious agents, such as the HIV virus (7). Besides varying with pH, the type and amount of bacterial flora in the vagina varies with the woman’s age, race, geographic location in some cases, general health, clothing (8), sexual activity, hormone levels, phase of the menstrual cycle, choice of contraceptive (e.g., the spermicide nonoxynol-9 is toxic to lactobacilli), vaginal and cervical epithelium, vaginal fluid, cervical mucus, and even such esoteric factors such as the oxidation-reduction potential. Other possible variables are her diet (9), type of panty liner (if used) (10), and resident bacteriophage population (11). In short, the vagina is a complex ecosystem. Like most ecosystems, it can be knocked out of balance by adding something that is not normally present, such as antibiotics or yogurt. It is easy to understand how antibiotics wreak havoc: they kill the good bacteria that normally keep the bad bacteria in check. Once the good bacteria are decimated, the bad bacteria take over. So how can yogurt and its Lactobacillus acidophilus disrupt the vaginal flora? After all, isn’t yogurt practically a synonym for a healthy food? Yes, but that image is overly simplistic. To the degree that yogurt’s bacteria are able to populate the vagina (12), such colonization may be good in that it suppresses pathogenic (disease-causing) germs, but bad in that it also suppresses the normal lactobacilli in the vagina (such as LC and LJ). Why would LA suppress LC and LJ? Because organisms compete for limited resources — whether they are plants competing for sunlight and water, animals competing for food, or bacteria competing for what keeps them alive:  in this case, the vaginal secretions. If you add LA, LC and LJ will be suppressed. In effect, they will starve, and their numbers will decrease. Because lactobacilli vary in their ability to produce defense factors and other chemicals, replacing the normal lactobacilli with LA alters the vaginal chemistry and impacts copulin production. In a study titled Antagonism among vaginal lactobacilli, researchers from the University of Illinois concluded that vaginal lactobacilli do indeed antagonize one another. In a separate study (Phylogenetic analysis of vaginal lactobacilli reveals novel species) conducted in collaboration with researchers from other universities, they concluded that the vaginal lactobacilli usually present are distinctly different from lactobacilli in food. Thus, expecting yogurt’s Lactobacillus acidophilus to pinch-hit for the normal vaginal lactobacilli makes about as much sense as expecting a young chimpanzee to substitute for a kindergarten student. While many different species of lactobacilli have been isolated from the vagina (13), most are genetically close to LC, LJ, and LG. Comparing the proportion of copulin-producing women to the frequency of isolating Lactobacillus acidophilus from the vagina suggests that LA is not the species responsible for copulin production. Bottom line? Yogurt is probably not going to help your love life, and may even hurt it by suppressing other lactobacilli.

The population of LC, LJ, and LG varies in different women, and there are genetic differences even amongst members of the same species — just like the fact that you are not genetically identical to your neighbors. Until scientists determine what species and strain is the best copulin producer, is there anything you can do to boost your copulin production? Yes, but this procedure is probably something most women would find objectionable. Hence, I’ll present this not as a recommendation, but merely as food for thought. The procedure is simple: transfer vaginal secretions from a copulin-producing woman (who is disease-free, of course) into the vagina of a non-producer. Essentially, this is just the process of inoculation. Humans transfer bacteria from one to another all the time, and implanting lactobacilli is just an intentional transfer with a specific goal in mind rather than the inadvertent transfer that characterizes bacterial emigration mediated by kissing, coughing, sneezing, shaking hands, and so forth.

If lactobacilli inoculation is too radical for you, consider the following. Since copulins are believed to achieve their effects by increasing testosterone production, you could dispense with the worry about whether or not copulins are present by a more direct route:  giving supplemental testosterone. However, I am not convinced that the only mechanism by which copulins work is by boosting testosterone production. Furthermore, giving supplemental testosterone is often not practical. Let’s say that you’re a single woman competing with other women for the best possible mate. It is not feasible (or legal) to slip a man some testosterone at the start of every date to enhance his ardor and attraction to you, but applying supplemental copulins is a viable option that may achieve the same or greater effect.

As mentioned above, vaginal flora varies with sexual activity. Researchers found that beneficial flora could be lost by receiving oral sex or by intercourse in which semen is deposited in the vagina at least once per week. The fact that LC and LJ can be so easily eradicated by mere exposure to saliva or semen offers some insight into why women are so prone to lose their colonizations by LC and LJ. One study found that during an 8-month period 34% of women initially colonized by LC lost that colonization, and 50% of women initially colonized by LJ lost that colonization. The only good news is that 35% of women who were not colonized by beneficial bacteria acquired such a colonization during an 8-month period. However, once acquired, colonizations are frequently lost.

Given the link between copulin production and bacteria, and given the fact that beneficial vaginal flora are not very tenacious, it isn’t surprising that most women do not produce copulins. However, rather than saying that one-third of women produce copulins, I think it would be more accurate to say that one-third of women make copulins at any one time. For example, consider a group of 100 women with 33 copulin producers. Several months later, statistically 33 women will still produce copulins, but not all women in the original copulin-producing group will be in that group at a later date; some women will stop making copulins, while others will start.

Since copulin production is so variable, might this be one reason why the sexual appetite of men can change for no apparent reason? If you’re a woman wondering why your lover seems less interested in sex, it may not be because he loves you any less or because he’s having an affair — it may be something as simple as a change in your vaginal flora.

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Excerpts Copyright © 2004 by Kevin Pezzi, MD.