On the Lips of a Lion

Does a lion mate with a lioness because he wants to reproduce his DNA or
because she smells and looks great to him when she is in heat?

I say the latter ( I don’t think a lion knows what DNA is or is aware that by inserting his penis into a lioness’s vagina it is going to result in the gestation of  lion cubs, 110 days later)

Does a man have sex with a woman because he really wants to reproduce his DNA or
because she smells and look great to him? (My parents did not understand the process of
sexual reproduction before they got married)

Once again I say the latter.
I also say why should men be any different than any other animal?

We may have a degree of understanding that sex = offspring but, for example, during the
18th century it was believed that women got pregnant when they had an orgasm
during sex. Knowledge or so-called knowledge cannot override our natural desires, in my view. But awareness or understanding how we think and form our desires could help us to assimulate such information and form decisions.

So what does this mean for us now in our mating cycle.
Well, maybe I don’t have to think that I better have sex with a woman or any woman so that I can “reproduce my DNA”. So why not just have sex and why form a longer term relationship in the first place (more than 2 years, for example)?

The only reason I can really think of is to test out my level of awareness or consciousness
or understanding of a lot of ideas on relating that I have formulated. I could do this with a man but the ultimate test is with the opposite sex.
The women that I have met so far, sure do seem to think a lot more differently than the
men I have met.

What ever happens after that, to me, would be thinking way too far for me.

How does a woman approach her mating cycle? I have no real idea as I am not a woman.
Perhaps a woman can let me know how the female mating cycle works and why?