Why do men seem so captivated by breasts? This question has puzzled scientists and sparked countless theories. While there’s no single, definitive answer to why men are drawn to breasts, various perspectives from evolutionary biology to cultural influences offer compelling insights. Let’s delve into the fascinating world of breast attraction and explore the leading theories behind this enduring male fascination.
Mammary glands, the defining characteristic of mammals, take on a unique sexual dimension in humans. While nipple stimulation isn’t exclusive to humans – some primates, like bonobos, have been observed engaging in self-nipple stimulation – humans appear to be distinct in assigning a significant sexual role to breasts. Face-to-face mating, a less common practice in the animal kingdom, might play a role in this difference, bringing breasts and nipples into the sexual foreground.
One prominent evolutionary theory suggests that the development of fatty tissue around mammary glands in women served a sexual signaling purpose. Anthropologist Owen Lovejoy proposed that evolution strategically highlighted reproductive organs, both male and female, to foster pair bonding. This wasn’t limited to breasts; men also evolved larger penises relative to their body size. This hypothesis posits that breasts became a visual cue linked to reproduction and relationship formation.
Another long-held theory proposes that breasts evolved to signal a woman’s health, youth, and nutritional status – all indicators of a desirable mate. Research indicating men’s preference for larger breasts and a lower waist-to-hip ratio supports this idea. An hourglass figure is often associated with youth and fertility. A 2004 study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B further reinforced this, finding that women with larger breasts tend to have higher estradiol levels mid-cycle, potentially increasing fertility.
Nature vs. Nurture: Is Breast Attraction Innate or Learned?
However, the notion of universal breast adoration is challenged by cultural diversity. A 1951 study by anthropologists Clellan Ford and ethologist Frank Beach across 191 cultures revealed that breasts were considered sexually significant to men in only 13. Among these, preferences varied widely. Nine cultures favored large breasts, while the Azande and Ganda of Africa preferred long, pendulous breasts. The Maasai of Africa and Manus of the South Pacific liked upright, hemispherical breasts, not necessarily large ones. Interestingly, while 13 cultures reported breast stimulation during sex, only three overlapped with those where men found breasts sexually important for attraction.
Cultural anthropologist Katherine Dettwyler, in her chapter in “Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives,” recounts her experience in Mali. When she described breast-focused sexual foreplay to friends, their reactions ranged from “bemused to horrified.”
“In any case, they regarded it as unnatural, perverted behavior, and found it difficult to believe that men would become sexually aroused by women’s breasts, or that women would find such activities pleasurable,” Dettwyler observed.
This cultural perspective suggests that male attraction to breasts is less about innate biology and more about learned associations from a young age.
“Obviously, humans can learn to view breasts as sexually attractive. We can learn to prefer long, pendulous breasts, or upright, hemispherical breasts. We can learn to prefer large breasts,” Dettwyler concluded.
Even if a biological basis for breast interest exists, cultural variations are undeniable. A 2011 study comparing men’s breast preferences in Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and New Zealand found that men from Papua New Guinea, a more subsistence-based culture, preferred larger breasts compared to men from Samoa or New Zealand. This supports the idea that in environments with resource scarcity, larger breasts might signal a woman’s well-nourished state and capacity for pregnancy and child-rearing. Preferences for areola size and color showed significant cultural variations, highlighting the role of cultural conditioning.
Breasts as a Sexual Sideshow: Hijacking the Mother-Infant Bond?
The primary function of breasts is, of course, infant nourishment. Some researchers propose that sexual interest in breasts is a byproduct, essentially repurposing the neural pathways associated with breastfeeding for sexual attraction.
Larry Young, a professor of psychiatry at Emory University, believes human evolution has tapped into an ancient neural circuit originally designed to strengthen the mother-infant bond during breastfeeding. This same circuitry, he argues, now strengthens bonds between couples. In essence, men, like babies, are drawn to breasts.
During breastfeeding, nipple stimulation releases oxytocin, often called the “love drug,” in a woman’s brain. This neurochemical surge focuses her attention and affection on her infant. However, recent research shows this circuitry isn’t exclusive to the mother-infant relationship.
Studies have revealed that nipple stimulation enhances sexual arousal in the vast majority of women, activating the same brain regions as vaginal and clitoral stimulation. When a partner touches, massages, or nibbles breasts, it triggers oxytocin release in the woman’s brain, similar to breastfeeding. In a sexual context, this oxytocin reinforces the woman’s bond with her partner, intensifying her desire for connection.
Therefore, men stimulating breasts during foreplay and sex can increase their desirability. Evolution, in a way, has incentivized this behavior in men. Young argues this theory is highly plausible. He elaborates on this in his book, “The Chemistry Between Us,” co-authored with Brian Alexander.
Breast attraction, according to Young, is a “brain organization effect” that develops in heterosexual males during puberty. “Evolution has selected for this brain organization in men that makes them attracted to the breasts in a sexual context, because the outcome is that it activates the female bonding circuit, making women feel more bonded with him. It’s a behavior that males have evolved in order to stimulate the female’s maternal bonding circuitry.”
Why did this evolutionary shift occur in humans and not most other mammals? Young suggests two key factors: monogamous relationships, which are uncommon among mammals (only about 3% are monogamous), and face-to-face sexual encounters. “Secondly, it might have to do with the fact that we are upright and have face-to-face sex, which provides more opportunity for nipple stimulation during sex. In monogamous voles, for example, the nipples are hanging toward the ground and the voles mate from behind, so this didn’t evolve,” he explains. “So, maybe the nature of our sexuality has allowed greater access to the breasts.”
Young critiques alternative theories, such as the idea that men prefer full-breasted women because they believe it indicates better baby nourishment. He argues this is weak considering sperm is plentiful, and men don’t need to be overly selective in mate choice.
However, like any evolutionary explanation for complex behaviors, Young’s theory faces cultural challenges.
Rutgers University anthropologist Fran Mascia-Lees points out the crucial question of cultural variations when considering universal evolutionary explanations for behavior.
Young counters that there’s insufficient research on breast stimulation during foreplay across cultures to dismiss the nipple-oxytocin bonding loop’s significance. Notably, men also often enjoy nipple stimulation. A 2006 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that 51.7% of undergraduate men in the UK found nipple stimulation arousing, compared to about 82% of women. Male nipples, while a vestigial trait from prenatal development, are indeed connected to nerves and blood vessels, similar to female nipples.
However, research on male nipple innervation and its contribution to sexual arousal is limited. Perhaps, the real question isn’t solely why female breasts are fetishized, but also why we don’t explore the sexual aspects of men’s chests more thoroughly.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Sept. 26, 2012 and has been updated to include further research and information on theories regarding male attraction to breasts.
