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Why Sexual Chemistry Can Feel Instant, According to Science

Studies suggest arousal can produce chemical scent signals that influence attraction and sexual motivation without conscious awareness.

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Sexual chemistry is talked about like it’s some mysterious, ineffable thing—the electricity between two people that either exists or it doesn’t. The reality is way more biological, and way more interesting, than that.

Research published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior by psychologist Dr. Arnaud Wisman at the University of Kent found that men can detect chemical signals of female arousal through scent alone. In three separate experiments, men were given sweat samples from women—some collected during sexual arousal, others during neutral activity. The men rated the arousal-linked sweat as........

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