Is It Really All About Chemistry?

"There's chemistry between us," is something we hear quite often. Is there truth to this?

Referring to chemistry when talking about sex isn't just a matter of using metaphors. (jlp)

A chemical reaction

»This is chemistry,« say lovers at the beginning of their relationship, perceiving the powerful changes occuring in their bodies when they touch. And when things aren't going the way they expected them to go, they might say »the chemistry is gone.« What takes place between two people in love is really comparable to a chemical reaction, so the clicheic expressions about chemistry aren't only a metaphor. In sexual arousal, the body experiences marked biochemical changes. Hormones flow in the blood stream and balance bodily responsiveness and readiness for sexual activity. Hormones can have a similar effect as pheromones, chemical substances that are formed in the body and that arouse or attract the persons of opposite sex. When a person is sexually aroused or infatuated, the release of hormones and pheromones rises. As sexologists Susan and Stuart Holroyd put it: »Long before the discovery of hormones, people knew that sexual attraction and instinct cause changes in one's body. In ancient medicine, they attributed this to various spirits circling in the veins.« And without doubt, the smell of hair, armpits, skin and private parts is a better aphrodisiac than all cosmetics.

The scent of the body is the most effective aphrodisiac. (jlp)

Hormones and sex

The three essential types of sexual hormones are androgens (the most important male hormone), estrogens and progestogens (the cruciral female hormone). All of them are present in both sexes, but in different amounts, of course. In both sexes, the power of sexual desire (libido) depends on the level of the major androgen (testosterone). The level of this hormone in women waxes and wanes throughout the menstrual cycle, and similar swings can be noticed in men. In a human being with a normal ability for sexual arousal, testosterone begins to be produced in considerable quantities once he or she feels the first stimulus.

Pheromones play a lesser role in human sexuality than in that of other species. People may even cover them by using perfumes and deodorants. The latter are sometimes unnecessary, since the bodily smell seems to be the most striking trait or element of one's attractiveness. According to Alex Comfort, the author of The Joy of Sex, it's French women who take full advantage of this, in comparison to American women, who tend to conceal their natural scent behind numerous cosmetic products. The French have even invented the term for the female bodily scent, which they call »cassollete.« Throughout the centuries, it was used as a main weapon in seducing men. Many men intensely react to »cassollete« without being aware of it.

On the other hand, a really experienced lover can perceive and recognize certain female scents and thus determine the level of the woman's arousal and sexual desire. In the old days, women liked to put the smell from their vagina onto their ear lobes to drive men crazy.

People have long been searching for various miraculous aphrodisiacs and love potions, and many substances have been suspected of having supernatural power to increase the libido. The most clicheic of them are champagne and oysters, while the Kama Sutra advises men to wear the bone of a hyena to attract women. To be honest, we don't know about any single substance that would officially increase sexual desire and act in a stimulating way. What we are familiar with are substances that help us loosen up and get rid of our reserve, but this isn't the same thing. Champagne and oysters can be a good introduction to intercourse, but the real passion will have to be conjured up by the lovers.