Understand Female Desire, Attraction, and Partner Choice | Sarah Hill EP 227
Tue Feb 03 2026
In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Sarah Hill, evolutionary psychologist, researcher, and author of The Period Brain. Dr. Hill is an expert in how hormones shape female psychology, attraction, relationships, health, and behavior. Dr. Hill broke down the science behind hormonal birth control and mate selection and we discussed what happens when women meet partners on birth control and later come off it, and why those shifts can feel confusing, destabilizing, or even identity-altering.We also explored The Period Brain and how attraction changes across the menstrual cycle and we talked about stress, safety, relationships, and identity—why feeling safe is biologically essential for women and how chronic stress can suppress ovulation even when periods appear “normal.”This is an episode for every woman and every man interested in actually understanding women. Sarah Hill’s book: https://a.co/d/04yrz7Wu—Sarah’s Links—Instagram: instagram.com/sarahehillphd/Website: SarahEHill.comFor a high quality education and community consider enrolling in Peterson Academy: https://petersonacademy.com/—Follow Me—All Platforms: https://linktr.ee/mikhailapeterson Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikhailapeterson TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mikhailapeterson Website: https://mikhailapeterson.com Lion Diet: https://liondiet.com Biotoxin: https://biotoxin.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/mikhailapetersonpodcast X: https://twitter.com/MikhailaFullerTelegram: https://t.me/mikhailapeterson—Chapters—00:55 Introducing Sarah Hill & The Period Brain 03:10 Choosing a Partner on the Pill07:30 Studies on Partner Selection and Relationship Satisfaction11:05 Caveat for how The Pill Affects Partner Selection13:30 Does Birth Control Affect Society at Scale?17:30 What The Period Brain Is Really About19:00 Why Health Insights For Women's Health Have Been Wrong 20:40 What Happens During The Cycle24:45 Energy, Appetite, and Exercise Across the Cycle28:22 Coming Off Birth Control: Mood and Identity Shifts31:00 Stress, Safety, and Hormonal Health32:47 Stress and Ovulation Correlation 37:30 Relationships, Safety, and the Female Brain40:20 Sexual Desire Isn’t Broken—It’s Cyclical43:00 Sensory and Emotional Changes Off the Pill46:00 Rebuilding Identity After Hormonal Suppression52:28 Final Thoughts & Where to Find Sarah Hill#pregnancy #ovulation #theperiodbrain
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In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Sarah Hill, evolutionary psychologist, researcher, and author of The Period Brain. Dr. Hill is an expert in how hormones shape female psychology, attraction, relationships, health, and behavior. Dr. Hill broke down the science behind hormonal birth control and mate selection and we discussed what happens when women meet partners on birth control and later come off it, and why those shifts can feel confusing, destabilizing, or even identity-altering.We also explored The Period Brain and how attraction changes across the menstrual cycle and we talked about stress, safety, relationships, and identity—why feeling safe is biologically essential for women and how chronic stress can suppress ovulation even when periods appear “normal.”This is an episode for every woman and every man interested in actually understanding women. Sarah Hill’s book: https://a.co/d/04yrz7Wu—Sarah’s Links—Instagram: instagram.com/sarahehillphd/Website: SarahEHill.comFor a high quality education and community consider enrolling in Peterson Academy: https://petersonacademy.com/—Follow Me—All Platforms: https://linktr.ee/mikhailapeterson Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikhailapeterson TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@mikhailapeterson Website: https://mikhailapeterson.com Lion Diet: https://liondiet.com Biotoxin: https://biotoxin.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/mikhailapetersonpodcast X: https://twitter.com/MikhailaFullerTelegram: https://t.me/mikhailapeterson—Chapters—00:55 Introducing Sarah Hill & The Period Brain 03:10 Choosing a Partner on the Pill07:30 Studies on Partner Selection and Relationship Satisfaction11:05 Caveat for how The Pill Affects Partner Selection13:30 Does Birth Control Affect Society at Scale?17:30 What The Period Brain Is Really About19:00 Why Health Insights For Women's Health Have Been Wrong 20:40 What Happens During The Cycle24:45 Energy, Appetite, and Exercise Across the Cycle28:22 Coming Off Birth Control: Mood and Identity Shifts31:00 Stress, Safety, and Hormonal Health32:47 Stress and Ovulation Correlation 37:30 Relationships, Safety, and the Female Brain40:20 Sexual Desire Isn’t Broken—It’s Cyclical43:00 Sensory and Emotional Changes Off the Pill46:00 Rebuilding Identity After Hormonal Suppression52:28 Final Thoughts & Where to Find Sarah Hill#pregnancy #ovulation #theperiodbrain