Having sex can cause important physiological changes in females, including alterations in libido, fertility, immunity, eating habits, fluid retention and sleep patterns , according to a new study conducted at the University of East Anglia (UK).
To reach these conclusions, the researchers looked at how the female fruit fly ( Drosophila melanogaster ) responds after mating . Thus, they discovered that there is a protein in the semen of their male companions that produces alterations in the expression of the genetic material of the females. "We have tested the effects of an enigmatic seminal fluid protein, which we call 'sex peptide' , and we have concluded that it is capable of changing the expression of genes in different parts of the female body, affecting from fertility to nutrient sensitivity or behavior, "says biologist Tracey Chapman, co-author of the study. That means, according to Chapman, that males have a direct effect on the reproductive system and behavior of their female partners, probably in most animal species.
Details are published in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
