FRIDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Although some studies have suggested that men can find clues to women's reproductive status by certain changes in their voices, a new study appears to dispel that notion
There is no reliable way to determine when women are ovulating by examining changes in their voices over the course of a month, the researchers concluded.
Unlike previous studies, the researchers behind the new study examined changes in women's voices throughout the entire menstrual cycle for hints on reproductive status, particularly the increased likelihood of conception.
The study, published in the current issue of the journal PLoS ONE, found the variations in women's voices during the month do not reliably predict ovulation. Although the researchers did find that women spoke in the highest tone (which some studies have associated with attractiveness) right before ovulation, their voices also rose to those same high levels right after ovulation.
The study found, however, that men had a very slight preference for pre-ovulation voices over voices recorded during ovulation. The researchers concluded that information about women's reproduction is "leaked" -- not broadcast.
Although women's voices do not announce that they are ovulating, the study's authors pointed out something men may already be well aware of: Women's voices are harsher and more irregular during menstruation.
More information
The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information on the female reproductive system.
