Explaining how birth control pills work by simulating a constant post-ovulatory state in women's bodies.

• Birth control pills provide a steady dose of synthetic hormones, preventing the natural hormonal cycle.
• Estrogen and progesterone levels are manipulated to trick the body into a state where it's not preparing for ovulation.
• This state mimics the latter half of the menstrual cycle, where conception is unlikely and no new egg is produced.

Discussing how different hormonal states influence women's psychological and physiological patterns.

• Estrogen and progesterone affect women's mood, energy levels, and physiology, preparing the body for potential pregnancy.
• These hormones influence behavior, making women more or less likely to engage in risky activities or be repulsed by contaminants.
• Changes in white matter density and hippocampal dendritic spines occur across the menstrual cycle.

Analyzing how birth control affects women's preferences for masculine traits in their partners.

• Birth control users tend to prefer less masculine male faces and voices.
• Discontinuing birth control can lead to changes in attraction and relationship satisfaction.
• The pill may nudge women's preferences towards traits associated with safety and caregiving over masculinity.