Advances in magnetic resonance imaging are driving the development of higherresolution machines equipped with high-strength static magnetic fields (MFs). The behavioral effects of high-strength MFs are largely uncharacterized, although in male rats exposure to 7T or above induces locomotor circling and leads to a conditoned taste avoidance (CTA) if paired with a novel taste. Here, the effects of MFs on male and female rats were compared to determine if there are sex differences in behavioral responses, and whether these can be explained by ovarian steroid status. Rats were given 10-min access to a novel saccharin solution and then restrained within a 14T magnet for 30 min. Locomotor activity after exposure was scored for circling and rearing. CTA extinction was measured with 2-bottle preference tests. In Experiment 1, males were compared to females across the estrous cycle after a single MF exposure. Females circled more and acquired a more persistent CTA than males; circling was highest on the day of estrus. In Experiment 2, the effects of three MF exposures were compared among intact rats, ovariectomized females, and ovariectomized females with steroid replacement. Compared to intact rats, ovariectomy increased circling; estrogen replacement blocked the increase. Males acquired a stronger initial CTA but extinguished faster than intact or ovariectomized females. Thus, the locomotor circling induced by MF exposure was increased in females, and modulated by ovarian steroids across the estrous cycle and by hormone replacement. Furthermore, female rats acquired a more persistent CTA than male rats that was not dependent on estrous phase or endogenous ovarian steroids.