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Sadr-Bazzaz M, Talaei A, Sadeghi MJ, Moradi M, Ahmadisoleymani Z, Vasey PL. Occupational Preferences, Childhood Behavior, and Openness: The Role of Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity in Iran. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024:10.1007/s10508-024-02865-x. [PMID: 38710965 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02865-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Previous research suggests that both same-sex attraction and the personality trait "openness" are associated with sex-atypical preferences and behaviors. Here, we examined the links between adulthood occupational preferences, childhood play behavior, and openness among Iranian cisgender gynephilic males (n = 228), cisgender ambiphilic males (n = 48), cisgender androphilic males (n = 178), transgender androphilic males (n = 58), cisgender androphilic females (n = 226), cisgender ambiphilic females (n = 94), cisgender gynephilic females (n = 31), and transgender gynephilic females (n = 121) from Iran. Cisgender and transgender same-sex attracted males and females exhibited sex-atypical occupational preferences with the latter group showing even more sex-atypicality than the former. The personality trait openness did not differ between cisgender groups. Transgender androphilic males had a significantly higher mean score for openness compared to cisgender androphilic females and transgender gynephilic females, whereas transgender gynephilic females had a significantly lower mean score compared to cisgender androphilic males. In both males and females, childhood sex-atypicality, same-sex attraction, and openness were associated with sex-atypical occupational preferences. Our findings from Iran provides cross-cultural support for interconnectedness of childhood and adulthood sex-atypicality, openness, and same-sex attraction in males and females who are cisgender and transgender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Sadr-Bazzaz
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Ali Talaei
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Marjan Moradi
- Department of Psychology, Toos Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Paul L Vasey
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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Neilan AM, Ufio OL, Brenner IR, Flanagan CF, Shebl FM, Hyle EP, Freedberg KA, Ciaranello AL, Patel K. Projected Life Expectancy for Adolescents With HIV in the US. JAMA HEALTH FORUM 2024; 5:e240816. [PMID: 38728022 PMCID: PMC11087843 DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.0816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Life expectancy is a key measure of overall population health. Life expectancy estimates for youth with HIV in the US are needed in the current HIV care and treatment context to guide health policies and resource allocation. Objective To compare life expectancy between 18-year-old youth with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV), youth with nonperinatally acquired HIV (NPHIV), and youth without HIV. Design, Setting, and Participants Using a US-focused adolescent-specific Monte Carlo state-transition HIV model, we simulated individuals from age 18 years until death. We estimated probabilities of HIV treatment and care engagement, HIV progression, clinical events, and mortality from observational cohorts and clinical trials for model input parameters. The simulated individuals were 18-year-old race and ethnicity-matched youth with PHIV, youth with NPHIV, and youth without HIV; 47%, 85%, and 50% were assigned male sex at birth, respectively. Individuals were categorized by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-defined HIV acquisition risk: men who have sex with men, people who ever injected drugs, heterosexually active individuals at increased risk for HIV infection, or average risk for HIV infection. Distributions were 3%, 2%, 12%, and 83% for youth with PHIV and youth without HIV, and 80%, 6%, 14%, and 0% for youth with NPHIV, respectively. Among the simulated youth in this analysis, individuals were 61% Black, 24% Hispanic, and 15% White, respectively. Exposures HIV status by timing of acquisition. Main Outcomes Life expectancy loss for youth with PHIV and youth with NPHIV: difference between mean projected life expectancy under current and ideal HIV care scenarios compared with youth without HIV. Uncertainty intervals reflect varying adolescent HIV-related mortality inputs (95% CIs). Results Compared with youth without HIV (life expectancy: male, 76.3 years; female, 81.7 years), male youth with PHIV and youth with NPHIV had projected life expectancy losses of 10.4 years (95% CI, 5.5-18.1) and 15.0 years (95% CI, 9.3-26.8); female youth with PHIV and youth with NPHIV had projected life expectancy losses of 11.8 years (95% CI, 6.4-20.2) and 19.5 years (95% CI, 13.8-31.6), respectively. When receiving ideal HIV care, life expectancy losses were projected to improve for youth with PHIV (male: 0.5 years [95% CI, 0.3-1.8]: female: 0.6 years [95% CI, 0.4-2.1]) but were projected to persist for youth with NPHIV (male: 6.0 years [95% CI, 5.0-9.1]; female: 10.4 years [95% CI, 9.4-13.6]). Conclusions This adolescent-focused microsimulation modeling analysis projected that youth with HIV would have shorter life expectancy than youth without HIV. Projected differences were larger for youth with NPHIV compared with youth with PHIV. Differences in mortality by sex at birth, sexual behavior, and injection drug use contributed to lower projected life expectancy among youth with NPHIV. Interventions focused on HIV care and social factors are needed to improve life expectancy for youth with HIV in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M. Neilan
- Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ogochukwu L. Ufio
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Isaac Ravi Brenner
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Clare F. Flanagan
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Fatma M. Shebl
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Emily P. Hyle
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University Center for AIDS Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kenneth A. Freedberg
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University Center for AIDS Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Andrea L. Ciaranello
- Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard University Center for AIDS Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kunjal Patel
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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Felesina T, Zietsch B. The Desirable Dad Hypothesis: Male Same-Sex Attraction as the Product of Selection for Paternal Care via Antagonistic Pleiotropy. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1731-1745. [PMID: 38177607 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02780-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Same-sex attraction, a heritable trait with a reproductive cost, lacks a comprehensive evolutionary explanation. Here we build on a hypothesis invoking antagonistic pleiotropy, which suggests that genes linked to male same-sex attraction remain in the gene pool because they have conferred some fitness advantage to heterosexual men possessing them. We posit the "desirable dad hypothesis," which proposes that alleles linked to male non-heterosexual orientations increase traits conducive to childcare; heterosexual men possessing same-sex attracted alleles are more desirable mating partners as a function of possessing superior paternal qualities. We conducted three studies to test predictions from this hypothesis. Results were consistent with all three predictions. Study 1 (N = 1632) showed that heterosexual men with same-sex attracted relatives were more feminine than men without, as indicated by self-report measures of femininity (η2 = .007), warmth (η2 = .002), and nurturance (η2 = .004 - .006). In Study 2 (N = 152), women rated feminine male profiles as more romantically appealing than masculine ones (d = 0.83)-but less so than profiles possessing a combination of feminine and masculine traits. In Study 3 (N = 153), women perceived feminine male profiles as depicting the best fathers and masculine profiles the worst (d = 1.56): consistent with the idea that femininity is attractive for childcare reasons. Together, these findings are consistent with the idea that sexual selection for male parental care may be involved in the evolution of male same-sex attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Felesina
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Level 3, McElwain Building (24A), St Lucia, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
| | - Brendan Zietsch
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Xu Y, Ma Y, Rahman Q. Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Parental Maltreatment as Mediators of Sexual Orientation Disparities in Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1777-1791. [PMID: 38418716 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02825-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying sexual orientation differences in psychopathology originating in childhood remain understudied since sexual orientation does not directly manifest in childhood. This study tested whether childhood gender nonconformity and parental maltreatment before age 6 years 9 months partly explained sexual orientation disparities in the developmental trajectories of emotional and behavioral difficulties from age 6 years 9 months to 11 years 8 months. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used (2182 boys and 2422 girls, Mage = 15.5, 90% White). After controlling for early life factors, non-heterosexual boys and girls displayed significantly greater emotional and behavioral difficulties than their heterosexual counterparts at all three ages. There was a sex difference in the mediating effects. For girls, sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties were partially explained by childhood gender nonconformity. For boys, sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties were partially explained by a path through greater childhood gender nonconformity, leading to increased risk of being the targets of parental maltreatment. Childhood gender nonconformity, parental maltreatment, and other early life factors only partially explain sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties. The mediating effects of childhood gender nonconformity and parental maltreatment on the association between sexual orientation and childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties differ between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Department of Sociology & Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China.
| | - Yidan Ma
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, China
- Key Laboratory of Personality and Cognition, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, China
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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5
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Sadr-Bazzaz M, Talaei A, Sadeghi MJ, Moradi M, Ahmadisoleymani Z, Vasey PL. Association of Recalled Childhood Sex-Typed Behavior with Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Iranian Adult Males and Females. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38691343 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2346926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Same-sex sexual attraction in both males and females has been associated with childhood sex-atypical behavior. Gynephilic females recall behaving in a manner that is less female-typical and more male-typical compared to cisgender androphilic females, whereas androphilic males recall behaving in a manner that is less male-typical and more female-typical compared to cisgender gynephilic males. In addition, male and female ambiphilic individuals exhibit intermediate levels of childhood sex-atypicality. In this study, we examined recalled childhood sex-typed behavior among Iranian cisgender gynephilic males (n = 236), cisgender ambiphilic males (n = 51), cisgender androphilic males (n = 191), transgender androphilic males (n = 60), cisgender androphilic females (n = 243), cisgender ambiphilic females (n = 96), cisgender gynephilic females (n = 32), and transgender gynephilic females (n = 122). Both cisgender androphilic males and cisgender gynephilic females recalled elevated childhood sex-atypicality, scoring intermediate between cisgender gynephilic males and cisgender androphilic females. Male and female ambiphilic participants scored intermediate between their other- and same-sex attracted cisgender counterparts. Transgender androphilic males exhibited hyper-feminized childhood behavior, scoring even more female-typical than cisgender androphilic females. Transgender gynephilic females recalled behaving as male-typical as cisgender gynephilic males. Consistent with previous research, our findings from Iran - a non-Western, Middle Eastern culture - provide cross-cultural support for the universality of childhood sex-atypicality as a normative developmental precursor of monosexual or ambisexual same-sex attraction in both males and females who are cisgender and transgender.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Talaei
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
| | | | - Marjan Moradi
- Department of Psychology, Toos Institute of Higher Education
| | | | - Paul L Vasey
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge
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Oginni OA, Alanko K, Jern P, Rijsdijk FV. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Sexual Orientation: Moderation by Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Early-Life Adversity. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1763-1776. [PMID: 38155338 PMCID: PMC11106125 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02761-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Existing evidence indicates genetic and non-genetic influences on sexual orientation; however, the possibility of gene-environment interplay has not been previously formally tested despite theories indicating this. Using a Finnish twin cohort, this study investigated whether childhood gender nonconformity and early-life adversities independently moderated individual differences in sexual orientation and childhood gender nonconformity, the relationship between them, and the etiological bases of the proposed moderation effects. Sexual orientation, childhood gender nonconformity, and early-life adversities were assessed using standard questionnaires. Structural equation twin model fitting was carried out using OpenMx. Childhood gender nonconformity was significantly associated with reduced phenotypic variance in sexual orientation (β = - 0.14, 95% CI - 0.27, - 0.01). A breakdown of the underlying influences of this moderation effect showed that this was mostly due to moderation of individual-specific environmental influences which significantly decreased as childhood gender nonconformity increased (βE = - 0.38; 95% CI - 0.52, - 0.001) while additive genetic influences were not significantly moderated (βA = 0.05; 95% CI - 0.30, 0.27). We also observed that the relationship between sexual orientation and childhood gender nonconformity was stronger at higher levels of childhood gender nonconformity (β = 0.10, 95% CI 0.05, 0.14); however, significance of the underlying genetic and environmental influences on this relationship could not be established in this sample. The findings indicate that beyond a correlation of their genetic and individual-specific environmental influences, childhood gender nonconformity is further significantly associated with reduced individual-specific influences on sexual orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olakunle Ayokunmi Oginni
- The Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Denmark Hill, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
- Department of Mental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neuroscience, Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Katarina Alanko
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Patrick Jern
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Frühling Vesta Rijsdijk
- The Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Denmark Hill, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Anton de Kom University, Paramaribo, Suriname
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Mersky JP, Lee CP, Hami D. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Sexual Orientation: An Intersectional Analysis of Nationally Representative Data. Am J Prev Med 2024; 66:483-491. [PMID: 37884176 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2023.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study compared the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences across intersections of sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and economic status. METHODS Data collected between 1994 and 2018 from 12,519 participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were analyzed in 2023 to generate adverse childhood experience prevalence estimates. Unadjusted 1-way ANOVAs and multivariate regressions were performed to compare differences in independent and cumulative adversity measures by sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and poverty status. A multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy was conducted to estimate adversity scores across 24 groups that were stratified by sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and poverty status. RESULTS Adolescents with same-sex attractions and adults who identified with a sexual minority group reported more adverse childhood experiences overall than straight participants, although associations varied by type of adversity. Strikingly, adversity scores were higher among White youth with same-sex attractions than among Black youth with same-sex attractions, among more economically advantaged bisexual adults than among poorer ones, and among poor White participants than among poor Black and Hispanic participants, suggesting that the combination of disadvantaged and marginalized statuses does not necessarily correspond with greater childhood adversity. A multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy interaction model showed that sexual orientation and poverty status contributed significant variance to cumulative adversity scores, whereas gender and race/ethnicity did not. CONCLUSIONS The results show that disparities in adverse experiences can be more fully and accurately represented when sexual orientation and other social identities are modeled as intersectional configurations. Given that adverse childhood experiences are linked to morbidity and mortality, the findings have salient implications for understanding health disparities that affect population subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Mersky
- Institute for Child and Family Well-being, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
| | - ChienTi Plummer Lee
- Institute for Child and Family Well-being, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Davin Hami
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Takayanagi JFGB, Siqueira JDO, Silveira PSP, Valentova JV. What Do Different People Look for in a Partner? Effects of Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Mating Strategies on Partner Preferences. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:981-1000. [PMID: 38413532 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02767-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Partner preferences are an important differential in relationship formation and evolutionary fitness, and vary according to individual, ecological, and social factors. In this study, we evaluated the variation in preference for intelligence, kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and socioeconomic level among individuals of different sexes and sexual orientations in a Brazilian sample. We analyzed the preference scores of 778 heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual men and women in three budgeted mate design tasks (low vs. medium vs. high budget) and their association with sociosexuality, attachment styles, homogamy, and willingness to engage in short- and long-term relationships. Results indicated a global trait preference order, with intelligence ranking first, followed by kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and lastly by socioeconomic status. Typical sex differences were observed mostly within the heterosexual group, and specific combinations of sex and sexual orientation were linked to variation in preference for physical attractiveness, kindness, and socioeconomic status. We also found unique associations of the other variables with partner preferences and with willingness to engage in short- or long-term relationships. By exploring the partner preferences of non-heterosexual individuals from a Latin American country, an underrepresented group in evolutionary psychology research, our results help understand the universal and specific factors that guide partner preferences and human sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao Francisco Goes Braga Takayanagi
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Professor Mello Moraes Avenue 1721, Butanta, São Paulo, SP, 05508-030, Brazil.
| | - Jose de Oliveira Siqueira
- Department of Legal Medicine, Bioethics, Occupational Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Sergio Panse Silveira
- Department of Legal Medicine, Bioethics, Occupational Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Department of Pathology (LIM01-HCFMUSP), Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jaroslava Varella Valentova
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Professor Mello Moraes Avenue 1721, Butanta, São Paulo, SP, 05508-030, Brazil
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Klocke U. Sexualization of Children or Human Rights? Attitudes Toward Addressing Sexual-Orientation Diversity in School. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2024; 71:600-631. [PMID: 36250961 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2022.2122368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents are more likely to experience mental health problems than their heterosexual peers because they are victimized more often or fear discrimination. Governmental plans to improve this situation by addressing sexual diversity in German schools have been accompanied by public resistance and misinformation, e.g., that they aim to sexualize children. The present study assessed how widespread negative attitudes toward such plans really are and how they can be explained. A random sample of 2,013 German residents was surveyed by phone. Only 10% opposed promoting acceptance of LGB in school. Approval of such plans was predominantly predicted by respondents' beliefs about sexual orientation and the plans' aim, and only marginally by societal values. Respondents who knew that the plans' aim was to promote acceptance of LGB and not to sexualize children and that children with same-sex parents are just as well off as those with heterosexual parents showed higher approval, whereas respondents who believed that homosexuality is affected by socialization showed higher opposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Klocke
- Institut für Psychologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin
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Song S, Zhang J. Genetic variants underlying human bisexual behavior are reproductively advantageous. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj6958. [PMID: 38170769 PMCID: PMC10796114 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj6958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Because human same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) is heritable and leads to fewer offspring, how SSB-associated alleles have persisted and whether they will remain in human populations are of interest. Using the UK Biobank, we address these questions separately for bisexual behavior (BSB) and exclusive SSB (eSSB) after confirming their genetic distinction. We discover that male BSB is genetically positively correlated with the number of offspring. This unexpected phenomenon is attributable to the horizontal pleiotropy of male risk-taking behavior-associated alleles because male risk-taking behavior is genetically positively correlated with both BSB and the number of offspring and because genetically controlling male risk-taking behavior abolishes the genetic correlation between male BSB and the number of offspring. By contrast, eSSB is genetically negatively correlated with the number of offspring. Our results suggest that male BSB-associated alleles are likely reproductively advantageous, which may explain their past persistence and predict their future maintenance, and that eSSB-associated alleles are likely being selected against at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siliang Song
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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11
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Bartlett NT, Morin JR, Hurd PL. Does the Fraternal Birth Order Effect Influence Handedness? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:205-211. [PMID: 37415027 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02649-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The fraternal birth order effect (FBOE) is the phenomenon whereby the probability that a man has a same-sex sexual orientation in adulthood increases with each biological older brother. Several studies have found evidence that the FBOE is limited to right-handed men, and left-handed men do not show an FBOE. Recent debates about the appropriate methods for quantifying the FBOE center on distinguishing the FBOE from other effects, such as the female fecundity effect (FFE), whereby mothers more prone to bearing gay sons are also more fecund. The FBOE and FFE are confounded in that a real FFE will result in data consistent with the FBOE under some analyses. Here, we applied some recent proposed analytic methods for the FBOE to the property of handedness. A straightforward application of Khovanova's technique to the binary trait of handedness yielded support for a fraternal birth order effect consistent with the maternal immune hypothesis, in that the ratios of handedness differed between men with one older brother only, and men with one younger brother only, while no such effect was seen in women. This effect was not seen, however, when the confounding effects of parental age were controlled for. Models including factors to simultaneously test multiple posited effects find significant female fecundity effects, as well as paternal age and birth order effects on handedness in men, but no FBOE. The effects seen in women were different, with no fecundity or parental age effects, but birth order and sex of older siblings had effects. We conclude, based on this evidence, that many of the factors thought to contribute to sexual orientation in men may also have an influence on handedness, and further note that parental age is a potential confound which may be overlooked by some analyses of the FBOE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T Bartlett
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Janessa R Morin
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Peter L Hurd
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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12
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Lübke KT, Storch D, Pause BM. Sexual Orientation Affects Neural Responses to Subtle Social Aggression Signals. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:153-175. [PMID: 37501010 PMCID: PMC10794475 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02661-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The current series of studies are the first to examine brain responses to social aggression signals as a function of male and female sexual orientation. For the first set of studies (1a, 1b), axillary sweat had been collected from 17 heterosexual men and 17 heterosexual women aggressively responding to frustrating opponents (aggression condition) and while playing a construction game (control condition). Sweat samples were pooled according to sex and condition, and presented via a constant flow olfactometer to 17 gay and 23 heterosexual men (Study 1a), and 19 lesbian and 25 heterosexual women (Study 1b). Ongoing EEG was recorded from 61 scalp locations, chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERPs; P2, P3-1, P3-2) were analyzed, and neuronal sources calculated (low resolution electromagnetic tomography). Within the second set of studies (2a, 2b), pictures of males' and females' weak angry and neutral facial expressions were presented to 21 gay and 23 heterosexual men (Study 2a), and 19 lesbian and 26 heterosexual women (Study 2b), and ERPs (N170, P3) were analyzed. Gay men showed larger P3-1 amplitudes than heterosexual men upon presentation of male aggression sweat, accompanied by activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, BA 10). Gay men also displayed longer N170 latencies in response to men's compared to women's angry facial expressions, while heterosexual men did not. In women, sexual orientation did not affect the processing of aggression sweat or anger expressions. Gay men showed preferential processing of chemosensory aggression signals (P3-1 amplitudes), indicating fine-tuned socioemotional sensitivity, related to activation of brain areas involved in emotion regulation (IFG). They further process the relative relevance of visual aggression signals (N170 latency). These results were in line with theories proposing a common evolutionary pathway for same-sex attraction and traits easing social integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin T Lübke
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Dunja Storch
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bettina M Pause
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
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13
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Čepulienė AA, Skruibis P. The functions of the dreams of the deceased: A qualitative study of women bereaved by partner's suicide. DEATH STUDIES 2023:1-10. [PMID: 38117247 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2023.2297063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Suicide bereavement is a challenging experience that affects relationships, feelings, and physical and mental health. The research on dreams during suicide bereavement might deepen the understanding of how the loved one's suicide affects the person and what functions the dreams can have during the bereavement process. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to explore the functions of the dreams of the deceased during suicide bereavement in a sample of 9 women bereaved by their partner's suicide. The data was gathered by conducting semi-structured interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were generated: dreams function as helping during the process of suicide bereavement; dreams reflect the traumatic aspects of suicide bereavement; dreams function as a space to maintain or sever an ongoing relationship with the deceased. The findings reveal that dreams can function in different ways and can be a valid part of suicide bereavement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paulius Skruibis
- Suicidology Research Centre, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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14
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Semenyna SW, Gómez Jiménez FR, VanderLaan DP, Vasey PL. Male androphilia, fraternal birth order, and female fecundity in Samoa: A 10-y retrospective. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2313284120. [PMID: 38048455 PMCID: PMC10723044 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313284120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Two separate but related literatures have examined familial correlates of male androphilia (i.e., sexual attraction and arousal to masculine adult males). The fraternal birth order effect (FBOE) is a widely established finding that each biological older brother a male has increased the probability of androphilia 20-35% above baseline rates. Other family demographic variables, such as reproduction by mothers, maternal aunts, and grandmothers, have been used to test evolutionary hypotheses that sexually antagonistic genes lead to androphilia among males, lowering or eliminating reproduction, which is offset by greater reproductive output among their female relatives. These proposed female fecundity effects (FFEs), and the FBOE, have historically been treated as separate yet complementary ways to understand the development and evolution of male androphilia. However, this approach ignores a vital confound within the data. The high overall reproductive output indicative of an FFE results in similar statistical patterns as the FBOE, wherein women with high reproductive output subsequently produce later-born androphilic sons. Thus, examination of the FBOE requires analytic approaches capable of controlling for the FFE, and vice-versa. Here, we present data simultaneously examining the FBOE and FFE for male androphilia in a large dataset collected in Samoa across 10 y of fieldwork, which only shows evidence of the FBOE.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco R. Gómez Jiménez
- Centre for Culture and Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, LondonUB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Doug P. VanderLaan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ONL5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Paul L. Vasey
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, ABT1K 3M4, Canada
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15
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Ying Y, Santtila P, Li G. Predictors of attitudes toward potentially having a lesbian, gay, or bisexual child among Chinese heterosexual adults. FAMILY PROCESS 2023; 62:1709-1724. [PMID: 36517939 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Parental acceptance is a robust protective factor for lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) individuals' mental health, yet its predictors have not been frequently studied in China. The present study examined predictors of Chinese heterosexual adults' attitudes toward potentially having an LGB child. Participants were 700 Chinese nationals (37.6% women and 62.4% men) aged 18-64 who identified as exclusively heterosexual and did not have an LGB child. We found that beliefs about the changeability of sexual orientation and beliefs in negative outcomes of being LGB predicted negative attitudes toward having an LGB child in domains of emotion, cognition, and behavior. Moreover, more exposure to LGB individuals predicted reduced disapproval and negative actions as well as increased positive actions. These findings revealed the key factors to changing Chinese people's attitudes toward having an LGB child. Clinical implications for therapists and counselors working with Chinese LGB individuals and their parents are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurun Ying
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Pekka Santtila
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Social Development Group at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Gu Li
- NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Social Development Group at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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16
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Shamrock OW, Abu-Ba'are GR, Zigah EY, Apreku A, Agbemedu GRK, Boyd DT, Adjaka G, Nelson LE. Family rejection of non-hetero sexuality-Sexual orientation and behavior anonymity among sexual minority men in slum communities-BSGH 001. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001659. [PMID: 38039264 PMCID: PMC10691700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
It can be challenging for sexual minority men (SMM) to decide whether or not to disclose their sexual orientation or behavior. The implications of this decision are significant, especially when considering how their family might react. We interviewed individuals living in slum communities (n = 12) in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Our study found that two factors primarily influenced the decision of SMM to disclose their sexual orientation. Firstly, SMM feared facing harm from their families and, secondly, the close ties of SMM families to religious institutions in their communities, which taught against LGBTQ+ activities in the country. These findings contribute to understanding why SMM in Ghanaian slum communities choose to keep their sexual orientation anonymous. While no single intervention is enough to address the challenges associated with coming out, participants in the study agreed that a social support intervention that provides opportunities to educate and inform their families and community on LGBTQ+ activities could help them assimilate comfortably in their communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osman Wumpini Shamrock
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Behavioral, Sexual, and Global Health Lab, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Behavioral, Sexual and Global Health Lab, Jama'a Action, West Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Gamji Rabiu Abu-Ba'are
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Behavioral, Sexual, and Global Health Lab, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Behavioral, Sexual and Global Health Lab, Jama'a Action, West Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Edem Yaw Zigah
- Behavioral, Sexual, and Global Health Lab, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Behavioral, Sexual and Global Health Lab, Jama'a Action, West Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Amos Apreku
- Behavioral, Sexual and Global Health Lab, Jama'a Action, West Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - George Rudolph Kofi Agbemedu
- Behavioral, Sexual, and Global Health Lab, School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Behavioral, Sexual and Global Health Lab, Jama'a Action, West Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Donte T Boyd
- College of Social Work, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | | | - LaRon E Nelson
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- School of Nursing, Yale, Connecticut, United States of America
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17
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Jiang J, Tan Y, Peng C. Sexual orientations in association between childhood maltreatment and depression among undergraduates in mainland of China. J Affect Disord 2023; 341:194-201. [PMID: 37657619 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing evidence that sexual minorities including lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning individuals (LGBQ) have significantly higher rates of childhood maltreatment than heterosexuals. However, few studies focused on the association between different type of childhood maltreatment and depression in LGBQs. METHODS Cross-sectional study by random sampling was conducted among the undergraduates in mainland of China. A total of 1920 undergraduates from different majors and colleges completed self-report questionnaires to record depression, childhood maltreatment, sexual orientation and other related information. The associations were examined via a set of logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Compared to the participants who had never experienced childhood maltreatment, the participants who reported emotional abuse (p < 0.001) and sexual abuse (p < 0.05) had higher odds of depression. The LGBQs have higher risk of being the victims of childhood maltreatment. The prevalence of depression was much higher in the LGBQ than that in the heterosexuals (33.9 % vs 16.1 %, χ2 = 43.627, p < 0.001). Compared to heterosexual adolescents, LGBQs had significantly higher odds of depression (p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS Cross-sectional design, self-reported information, and unable to examine underlying protective factors. CONCLUSIONS Emotional abuse, emotional neglect and sexual abuse have stronger association with LGBQ than other kind of childhood maltreatment. Emotional abuse and sexual abuse have stronger association with depression. Sexual abuse has stronger association with depression in LGBQs than heterosexuals. More attention to the mental health should be paid especially in LGBQs to reduce the risk of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingrui Jiang
- The 2nd Clinical School, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yafei Tan
- Wuhan Children's Hospital, Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Chang Peng
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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18
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González M, López-Gaviño F. What About the Sexual Orientation of the Offspring of Lesbian and Gay Parents? A Multidimensional, Time and Gender-Based Answer. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2023; 70:3051-3074. [PMID: 35759618 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2022.2086750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the sexual orientation of 30 young adult children of lesbian and gay parents, analyzing three dimensions (sexual behavior, sexual attraction and sexual self-identification), their evolution over time and the possible influence of gender (19 women and 11 men). Sexual orientation was measured using KSOG. The results revealed that most participants defined themselves as heterosexual only, although percentages varied between 87% for sexual behavior to 67% for sexual attraction and 60% for sexual self-identification. Gender differences were found for sexual attraction and self-identification, with men having a polarized profile (responses at both ends of the scale) and women reporting a less exclusive and more fluid sexuality. These findings are discussed in light of the complex nature of sexual orientation, the freedom of these young adults for defining their sexual orientation, and the role played by gender and family experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar González
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Francisca López-Gaviño
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
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19
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Sabuncuoglu O. About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Thyroid Dysfunctions: Can Inherent Particulars of Same‑Sex Sexual Orientation Go Missing? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:3177-3179. [PMID: 37730919 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02696-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Osman Sabuncuoglu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Emeritus), Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
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20
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Balthazart J, Roselli CE. Hormonal, Genetic, Immunological: An Array of Mechanisms but How Do They Interact, If at All? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:2963-2971. [PMID: 36376746 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02469-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Charles E Roselli
- Department of Chemical, Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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21
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VanderLaan DP, Skorska MN, Peragine DE, Coome LA. Carving the Biodevelopment of Same-Sex Sexual Orientation at Its Joints. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:2939-2962. [PMID: 35960401 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02360-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sexual orientation is a core aspect of human experience and understanding its development is fundamental to psychology as a scientific discipline. Biological perspectives have played an important role in uncovering the processes that contribute to sexual orientation development. Research in this field has relied on a variety of populations, including community, clinical, and cross-cultural samples, and has commonly focused on female gynephilia (i.e., female sexual attraction to adult females) and male androphilia (i.e., male sexual attraction to adult males). Genetic, hormonal, and immunological processes all appear to influence sexual orientation. Consistent with biological perspectives, there are sexual orientation differences in brain development and evidence indicates that similar biological influences apply across cultures. An outstanding question in the field is whether the hypothesized biological influences are all part of the same process or represent different developmental pathways leading to same-sex sexual orientation. Some studies indicate that same-sex sexually oriented people can be divided into subgroups who likely experienced different biological influences. Consideration of gender expression in addition to sexual orientation might help delineate such subgroups. Thus, future research on the possible existence of such subgroups could prove to be valuable for uncovering the biological development of sexual orientation. Recommendations for such future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doug P VanderLaan
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Malvina N Skorska
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Diana E Peragine
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Lindsay A Coome
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
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22
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Bosson JK, Rousis G, Wilkerson M. From Flirting to F*cking: Examining the Robustness of the Precarious Sexuality Effect. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:3097-3112. [PMID: 37407894 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02651-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Men, versus women, face more doubts about their heterosexuality based on a single same-gender sexual experience, a phenomenon known as the precarious sexuality effect. This phenomenon has thus far only been examined with sexually explicit same-gender acts (e.g., kissing, oral sex). Here, we conducted secondary data analyses of five large datasets of US adults (total N = 9770) to examine the replicability and robustness of the precarious sexuality effect across a range of same-gender acts varying in sexual explicitness. Using cross-classified hierarchical linear modeling, we replicated the precarious sexuality effect across all samples and demonstrated-in preregistered exploratory and confirmatory tests-that this effect was moderated by sexual explicitness. Consistent with our predictions, same-gender acts that were merely flirtatious (e.g., blowing a kiss) elicited stronger precarious sexuality (i.e., target gender) effects than same-gender acts that were explicitly sexual (e.g., oral sex), presumably because the former acts are more ambiguous and thereby allow more room for interpretation. Further, we found no consistent evidence that the precarious sexuality effect was moderated by perceiver characteristics including gender, sexual orientation, age, race, gender role beliefs, religiosity, or political orientation. Discussion considers possible explanations for the precarious sexuality effect and identifies important avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Bosson
- Psychology Department, The University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., PCD 4118G, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.
| | - Gregory Rousis
- Psychology Department, The University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., PCD 4118G, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
| | - Mariah Wilkerson
- Psychology Department, The University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., PCD 4118G, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
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23
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Diamond LM. What Develops in the Biodevelopment of Sexual Orientation? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:2985-2991. [PMID: 36695963 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02542-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Diamond
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 380 South 1530 East, Room 502, UT, 84112, USA.
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24
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Kheloui S, Jacmin-Park S, Larocque O, Kerr P, Rossi M, Cartier L, Juster RP. Sex/gender differences in cognitive abilities. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105333. [PMID: 37517542 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Sex/gender differences in cognitive sciences are riddled by conflicting perspectives. At the center of debates are clinical, social, and political perspectives. Front and center, evolutionary and biological perspectives have often focused on 'nature' arguments, while feminist and constructivist views have often focused on 'nurture arguments regarding cognitive sex differences. In the current narrative review, we provide a comprehensive overview regarding the origins and historical advancement of these debates while providing a summary of the results in the field of sexually polymorphic cognition. In so doing, we attempt to highlight the importance of using transdisciplinary perspectives which help bridge disciplines together to provide a refined understanding the specific factors that drive sex differences a gender diversity in cognitive abilities. To summarize, biological sex (e.g., birth-assigned sex, sex hormones), socio-cultural gender (gender identity, gender roles), and sexual orientation each uniquely shape the cognitive abilities reviewed. To date, however, few studies integrate these sex and gender factors together to better understand individual differences in cognitive functioning. This has potential benefits if a broader understanding of sex and gender factors are systematically measured when researching and treating numerous conditions where cognition is altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kheloui
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Silke Jacmin-Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Ophélie Larocque
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Philippe Kerr
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Mathias Rossi
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Louis Cartier
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada; Center on Sex⁎Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada.
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25
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Bragazzi NL, Converti M, Crapanzano A, Zerbetto R, Siri A, Khamisy-Farah R. Probing the genomic landscape of human sexuality: a critical systematic review of the literature. Front Genet 2023; 14:1184758. [PMID: 37693319 PMCID: PMC10483070 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1184758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Whether human sexuality is the result of nature or nurture (or their complex interplay) represents a hot, often ideologically driven, and highly polarized debate with political and social ramifications, and with varying, conflicting findings reported in the literature. A number of heritability and behavioral genetics studies, including pedigree-based investigations, have hypothesized inheritance patterns of human sexual behaviors. On the other hand, in most twin, adoption, and nuclear family studies, it was not possible to disentangle between underlying genetic and shared environmental sources. Furthermore, these studies were not able to estimate the precise extent of genetic loading and to shed light both on the number and nature of the putative inherited factors, which remained largely unknown. Molecular genetic studies offer an unprecedented opportunity to overcome these drawbacks, by dissecting the molecular basis of human sexuality and allowing a better understanding of its biological roots if any. However, there exists no systematic review of the molecular genetics of human sexuality. Therefore, we undertook this critical systematic review and appraisal of the literature, with the ambitious aims of filling in these gaps of knowledge, especially from the methodological standpoint, and providing guidance to future studies. Sixteen studies were finally retained and overviewed in the present systematic review study. Seven studies were linkage studies, four studies utilized the candidate gene approach, and five studies were GWAS investigations. Limitations of these studies and implications for further research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Luigi Bragazzi
- Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair, Health Anthropology Biosphere and Healing Systems, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Crapanzano
- Department of Counseling, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Anna Siri
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair, Health Anthropology Biosphere and Healing Systems, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Rola Khamisy-Farah
- Clalit Health Services, Akko, Israel
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
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Lupu DC, Monedero I, Rodriguez-Ruiz C, Pita M, Turiegano E. In support of 2D:4D: More data exploring its conflicting results on handedness, sexual orientation and sex differences. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280514. [PMID: 37607180 PMCID: PMC10443882 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, several studies have questioned the value of the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) as a measure of exposure to sex hormones before birth. Controversy has also extended to the 2D:4D association with individual features previously related to this exposure such as handedness and sexual orientation. Given that it has been argued that sex differences in 2D:4D could be a consequence of body-size differences, we have tested in a large sample the allometric relationship between finger lengths and body size. Our results show that the association is either allometric or isometric, depending on the analyses performed. In any case, the deviation from isometry is not large enough to explain the typically observed sex difference in this trait. We have also tested the association between sexual orientation and 2D:4D, finding a relationship between 2D:4D and sexual orientation in men but not in women. We attribute this discordance with previously published meta-analysis to differences in genetic background, a variable that has gained relevance in recent years in studies involving 2D:4D. Finally, we did not find any relationship between 2D:4D and handedness, evaluated through self-reported preference and hand performance. Our main conclusion is that 2D:4D shows differences between sexes beyond their disparity in body size. In our opinion, 2D:4D can be used cautiously as an indicator of intrauterine exposure to sex hormones taking into account some considerations, such as analysing a very large sample and taking careful measurements of the ethnicity of the sample.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ignacio Monedero
- Departamento de Fisiología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | | | - Miguel Pita
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | - Enrique Turiegano
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, España
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Clive J, Flintham E, Savolainen V. Same-sex sociosexual behaviour is widespread and heritable in male rhesus macaques. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1287-1301. [PMID: 37429903 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02111-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Numerous reports have documented the occurrence of same-sex sociosexual behaviour (SSB) across animal species. However, the distribution of the behaviour within a species needs to be studied to test hypotheses describing its evolution and maintenance, in particular whether the behaviour is heritable and can therefore evolve by natural selection. Here we collected detailed observations across 3 yr of social and mounting behaviour of 236 male semi-wild rhesus macaques, which we combined with a pedigree dating back to 1938, to show that SSB is both repeatable (19.35%) and heritable (6.4%). Demographic factors (age and group structure) explained SSB variation only marginally. Furthermore, we found a positive genetic correlation between same-sex mounter and mountee activities, indicating a common basis to different forms of SSB. Finally, we found no evidence of fitness costs to SSB, but show instead that the behaviour mediated coalitionary partnerships that have been linked to improved reproductive success. Together, our results demonstrate that SSB is frequent in rhesus macaques, can evolve, and is not costly, indicating that SSB may be a common feature of primate reproductive ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Clive
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Ewan Flintham
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Vincent Savolainen
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK.
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28
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Epstein R, Wang H, Zankich VR. Is everyone a mix of straight and gay? A social pressure theory of sexual orientation, with supporting data from a large global sample. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1187377. [PMID: 37496790 PMCID: PMC10367109 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1187377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sigmund Freud, Alfred Kinsey, E.O. Wilson, and others have suggested that social pressure suppresses natural tendencies for humans to express bisexuality, the apparent norm for one of our two closest genetic relatives, the bonobo. An analysis of data obtained from a new online sample of 1,150,938 people in 215 countries and territories (63.9% from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada) who completed the English version of a validated questionnaire of sexual orientation lends support to this idea. A histogram of scores from 0 (exclusive opposite-sex inclinations) to 18 (exclusive same-sex inclinations) forms a near-normal distribution. Although this distribution was likely caused to some extent by sampling bias, it may also reflect the unusual honesty people show when taking online tests anonymously, as an increasing body of evidence demonstrates. We present a formal mathematical expression of a social pressure theory of sexual orientation, along with empirical evidence and computational explorations that support the theory. We also present an analysis of the new data set. Among other findings: sexual orientation labels corresponded to broad, skewed, overlapping distributions of scores. Self-labeled gays/lesbians and, to a greater extent, self-labeled straights, reported that the larger the mismatch between their sexual orientation label and their actual sexual inclinations, the more distress they felt regarding their sexual orientation, a finding that is predictable from cognitive dissonance theory. Educating the public about the true nature of sexual orientation might quell the often rancorous public debates on this topic, as well as give comfort to a large number of mislabeled people.
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Ziogas A, Mokros A, Kawohl W, de Bardeci M, Olbrich I, Habermeyer B, Habermeyer E, Olbrich S. Deep Learning in the Identification of Electroencephalogram Sources Associated with Sexual Orientation. Neuropsychobiology 2023; 82:234-245. [PMID: 37369190 DOI: 10.1159/000530931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION It is unclear if sexual orientation is a biological trait that has neurofunctional footprints. With deep learning, the power to classify biological datasets without an a priori selection of features has increased by magnitudes. The aim of this study was to correctly classify resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) data from males with different sexual orientation using deep learning and to explore techniques to identify the learned distinguishing features. METHODS Three cohorts (homosexual men, heterosexual men, and a mixed sex cohort), one pretrained network on sex classification, and one newly trained network for sexual orientation classification were used to classify sex. Further, Grad-CAM methodology and source localization were used to identify the spatiotemporal patterns that were used for differentiation by the networks. RESULTS Using a pretrained network for classification of males and females, no differences existed between classification of homosexual and heterosexual males. The newly trained network was able, however, to correctly classify the cohorts with a total accuracy of 83%. The retrograde activation using Grad-CAM technology yielded distinctive functional EEG patterns in the Brodmann area 40 and 1 when combined with Fourier analysis and a source localization. DISCUSSION This study shows that electrophysiological trait markers of male sexual orientation can be identified using deep learning. These patterns are different from the differentiating signatures of males and females in a resting-state EEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Ziogas
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Wolfram Kawohl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Clienia Schlössli AG, Oetwil am See, Switzerland
| | - Mateo de Bardeci
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Elmar Habermeyer
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Olbrich
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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30
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Micangeli G, Profeta G, Colloridi F, Pirro F, Tarani F, Ferraguti G, Spaziani M, Isidori AM, Menghi M, Fiore M, Tarani L. The role of the pediatrician in the management of the child and adolescent with gender dysphoria. Ital J Pediatr 2023; 49:71. [PMID: 37316904 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-023-01466-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Gender dysphoria is a clinical condition characterized by significant distress due to the discordance between biological sex and gender identity. Currently, gender dysphoria is also found more frequently in children and adolescents, thanks to greater social sensibleness and new therapeutic possibilities. In fact, it is estimated that the prevalence of gender dysphoria in pediatric age is between 0.5% and 2% based on the statistics of the various countries. Therefore, the pediatrician cannot fail to update himself on these issues and above all should be the reference figure in the management of these patients. Even if the patient must be directed to a referral center and be followed up by a multidisciplinary team, the treating pediatrician will care to coordinate the clinical and therapeutic framework. The aim of the present report is therefore to integrate literature data with our clinical experience to propose a new clinical approach in which the pediatrician should be the reference in the care of these patients, directing them towards the best therapeutic approach and staying in contact with the specialists of the referral center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ginevra Micangeli
- Department of Pediatrics, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Profeta
- Department of Pediatrics, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Federica Pirro
- Department of Pediatrics, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Tarani
- Department of Pediatrics, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giampiero Ferraguti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Spaziani
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea M Isidori
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Menghi
- Department of Pediatrics, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Fiore
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, IBBC-CNR, Rome, Italy.
| | - Luigi Tarani
- Department of Pediatrics, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Xu Y, Rahman Q, Hiyoshi A, Montgomery S. Same-sex and Opposite-sex Marriages as a Proxy Measure of Sexual Orientation and Its Association with Psychopathology: A Reply to Zietsch and Sanders. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:608-610. [PMID: 36399087 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2144990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Department of Sociology & Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London
| | - Ayako Hiyoshi
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
| | - Scott Montgomery
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
- Clinical Epidemiology Division, Karolinska Institutet
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32
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Paarnio M, Sandman N, Källström M, Johansson A, Jern P. The Prevalence of BDSM in Finland and the Association between BDSM Interest and Personality Traits. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:443-451. [PMID: 34994669 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2021.2015745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
According to previous research, interest in BDSM (Bondage-Discipline, Dominance-Submission and Sadomasochism) activities is high in several European countries and various BDSM practices are not uncommon. There is a limited amount of research on the personalities of BDSM practitioners, but in previous research practitioners have been found to have better overall well-being and to be more educated than the general population. The current study explored the prevalence of BDSM interest and practice in a Finnish sample (n = 8,137, age range 18-60, M = 30.14, SD = 8.08) and investigated the association between BDSM interest and personality measured with the six-factor personality measure HEXACO. A total of 38% of the sample was interested in BDSM sex and non-heterosexual individuals displayed almost twice as much interest and at most 83% more participation in BDSM than heterosexual individuals. Younger participants (18-28 years old) displayed almost three times as much interest than older participants. There were some associations between BDSM interest and personality factors, but the effect sizes of these associations were modest. The study shows that BDSM interest is quite common among the Finnish population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Paarnio
- Department of Psychology and Speech-language Pathology, University of Turku
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Nils Sandman
- Department of Psychology and Speech-language Pathology, University of Turku
| | - Marianne Källström
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University
| | - Ada Johansson
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University
| | - Patrick Jern
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University
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33
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Xu Y, Rahman Q, Hiyoshi A, Montgomery S. Same-Sex Marriage and Common Mental Health Diagnoses: A Sibling Comparison and Adoption Approach. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:585-595. [PMID: 36399099 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2120597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to test whether the association between same-sex marriage and common mental health diagnoses was explained by shared genetic and environmental familial influences using sibling comparison and adoption analyses. For the sibling comparison analysis, participants (1,177,712 men and 1,266,917 women) were individuals born in Sweden between 1932 and 1994 and had ever been recorded as married (in opposite-sex or same-sex marriages). For the adoption analysis, participants were 147,164 and 1,298 female-female full sibling and adoptive sibling pairs, respectively. Based on medical records, prescribed medication, and death certificates, depression, substance abuse, and suicide (completed and attempted) from age 18 years were identified. For both sexes, being in a same-sex marriage was associated with greater risk of depression, substance abuse, and suicide, compared with being in an opposite-sex marriage. Controlling for shared familial confounding reduced this difference by less than 20% in magnitude, but overall mental health disparities for individuals in same-sex marriages remained statistically significant. Among women, only the genetic correlation between same-sex marriage and depression was statistically significant (r = .33). Same-sex marriage, as a proxy for sexual orientation, was associated with increased risk of certain mental health diagnoses and shared familial confounding explained a small component of this association, depending on the diagnosis. The findings indicate that sexual orientation disparities in mental health outcomes may involve unmeasured factors, and a relatively small proportion should be considered that may be due to shared familial confounding relevant to both sexual orientation and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University
- Department of Sociology & Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London
| | - Ayako Hiyoshi
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
| | - Scott Montgomery
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
- Clinical Epidemiology Division, Karolinska Institutet
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34
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Rosario M. Health Disparities by Sexual Orientation: Implications of Genetic and Environmental Explanations. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:600-604. [PMID: 36399067 PMCID: PMC10175091 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2144991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Xu and colleagues add to the growing research literature on the role of potential familial (i.e., genetic and shared environment) causes in sexual orientation and in the relation between sexual orientation and poor mental health, in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority individuals have poorer mental health than heterosexual individuals. I address several implications of the findings by Xu et al. and others. First, the nuance or complexity of genetics is considered, given the implications of genetics for health via a single gene, epistasis, or epigenetics. Second, I highlight the magnitude of the genetic relation between sexual orientation and psychopathology, suggesting some, but not all, sexual minority individuals may differ from heterosexual individuals on psychiatric vulnerability. In turn, this suggests that research should identify for whom or under what circumstances the relation holds. Third, I underscore the need for a within-subjects design, in which attention turns to differences among sexual minority individuals. Fourth, the need to reevaluate Minority Stress Theory, the predominant theory accounting for health disparities by sexual orientation, is addressed because of the implications of genetics for health. Fifth, I acknowledge the concern attached to genetic research for potentially compounding the stigmatization already experienced by sexual minority individuals. Nevertheless, this research is occurring and will likely increase in volume. It will inform understanding of sexual minority individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Rosario
- Department of Psychology, The City University of New York—The City College and Graduate Center, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, United States
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35
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Ballering AV, Burke SM, Maeckelberghe ELM, Rosmalen JGM. How to Ensure Inclusivity in Large-Scale General Population Cohort Studies? Lessons Learned with Regard to Including and Assessing Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023:10.1007/s10508-023-02600-y. [PMID: 37186037 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02600-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advances in the measurement of sex, gender, and sexual orientation in large-scale cohort studies, the three concepts are still gaining relatively little attention, may be mistakenly equated, or non-informatively operationalized. The resulting imprecise or lacking information hereon in studies is problematic, as sex, gender, and sexual orientation are important health-related factors. Omission of these concepts from general population cohort studies might dismiss participants' identity and experiences and pushes research on sexual or gender minority populations toward purposive sampling, potentially introducing selection bias. It also reinforces the unintentional notion of irrelevance of these concepts to health research, ultimately disadvantaging sexual and gender minority populations. Similarly, a lack of uniform measures on sex, gender, and sexual orientation hampers multi-cohort studies in which data from multiple studies are combined, facilitating increased statistical power. This paper discusses the encountered pitfalls and lessons learned on including and assessing sex, gender, and sexual orientation in large-scale general population cohort studies, exemplified by the Dutch Lifelines Cohort Study. Additionally, we propose hands-on strategies on how to operationalize these concepts in an inclusive manner that is useful for large-scale general population cohort studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aranka V Ballering
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Sarah M Burke
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Els L M Maeckelberghe
- University Medical Center Groningen, Wenckebach Institute for Training and Education, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith G M Rosmalen
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center of Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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36
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Fertility Intentions and Sexual Orientation: Evidence from the 2020 Youth Survey in Estonia. POPULATION RESEARCH AND POLICY REVIEW 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11113-023-09773-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAttitudes towards sexual minorities have undergone a transformation in Western countries recently. This has led to an increase in research into the experiences of sexual minorities in a variety of life domains. Although parenthood is a valued life goal only a few small-scale studies have looked into the parenthood goals of individuals in relation to their sexual orientation. The aims of this study are to analyse the diversity of sexual orientation, the factors associated with it and the relationship to fertility intentions among adolescents aged 16 to 19. The study draws on a nationally representative youth survey conducted in 2020 in Estonia (N = 1624), and employs descriptive methods and logistic and linear regression models. The results show that adolescents in Estonia exhibit considerable diversity of sexual orientation, with one-fifth reporting some degree of attraction to their own sex. The minority sexual orientation is more frequent among groups which can be regarded as more open or exposed to new behaviours, but is also associated with a disadvantaged family background. The results reveal a clear negative association between the intended number of children and the minority sexual orientation, which is not explained by other available variables.
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37
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Clemens B, Lefort-Besnard J, Ritter C, Smith E, Votinov M, Derntl B, Habel U, Bzdok D. Accurate machine learning prediction of sexual orientation based on brain morphology and intrinsic functional connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:4013-4025. [PMID: 36104854 PMCID: PMC10068286 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual orientation in humans represents a multilevel construct that is grounded in both neurobiological and environmental factors. OBJECTIVE Here, we bring to bear a machine learning approach to predict sexual orientation from gray matter volumes (GMVs) or resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in a cohort of 45 heterosexual and 41 homosexual participants. METHODS In both brain assessments, we used penalized logistic regression models and nonparametric permutation. RESULTS We found an average accuracy of 62% (±6.72) for predicting sexual orientation based on GMV and an average predictive accuracy of 92% (±9.89) using RSFC. Regions in the precentral gyrus, precuneus and the prefrontal cortex were significantly informative for distinguishing heterosexual from homosexual participants in both the GMV and RSFC settings. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that, aside from self-reports, RSFC offers neurobiological information valuable for highly accurate prediction of sexual orientation. We demonstrate for the first time that sexual orientation is reflected in specific patterns of RSFC, which enable personalized, brain-based predictions of this highly complex human trait. While these results are preliminary, our neurobiologically based prediction framework illustrates the great value and potential of RSFC for revealing biologically meaningful and generalizable predictive patterns in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Clemens
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Research Center Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Wilhelm-Johnen-Strase, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Ritter
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Elke Smith
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Bernhard-Feilchenfeld-Str. 11, 50969 Cologne, Germany
| | - Mikhail Votinov
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Research Center Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Wilhelm-Johnen-Strase, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Calwerst. 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str. 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Research Center Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Wilhelm-Johnen-Strase, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, McGill University, 3801 University Rue, Montreal Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, 3775 University Rue, Montreal Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) and Hospital, McGill University, 3801 University Rue, Montreal Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
- Mila–Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, 6666 Rue St-Urbain #200, Montreal Quebec H2S 3H1, Canada
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Oginni OA, Lim KX, Rahman Q, Jern P, Eley TC, Rijsdijk FV. Bidirectional Causal Associations Between Same-Sex Attraction and Psychological Distress: Testing Moderation and Mediation Effects. Behav Genet 2023; 53:118-131. [PMID: 36520248 PMCID: PMC9922221 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-022-10130-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Only one study has examined bidirectional causality between sexual minority status (having same-sex attraction) and psychological distress. We combined twin and genomic data from 8700 to 9700 participants in the UK Twins Early Development Study cohort at ≈21 years to replicate and extend these bidirectional causal effects using separate unidirectional Mendelian Randomization-Direction of Causation models. We further modified these models to separately investigate sex differences, moderation by childhood factors (retrospectively-assessed early-life adversity and prospectively-assessed childhood gender nonconformity), and mediation by victimization. All analyses were carried out in OpenMx in R. Same-sex attraction causally influenced psychological distress with significant reverse causation (beta = 0.19 and 0.17; 95% CIs = 0.09, 0.29 and 0.08, 0.25 respectively) and no significant sex differences. The same-sex attraction → psychological distress causal path was partly mediated by victimization (12.5%) while the reverse causal path was attenuated by higher childhood gender nonconformity (moderation coefficient = -0.09, 95% CI: -0.13, -0.04).
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Affiliation(s)
- Olakunle A Oginni
- The Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, SE5 8AF, UK.
- Department of Mental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
| | - Kai X Lim
- The Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Patrick Jern
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
| | - Thalia C Eley
- The Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Frühling V Rijsdijk
- The Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, SE5 8AF, UK
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Anton de Kom University, Paramaribo, Suriname
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Ziogas A, Habermeyer E, Santtila P, Poeppl TB, Mokros A. Neuroelectric Correlates of Human Sexuality: A Review and Meta-Analysis. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:497-596. [PMID: 32016814 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-01547-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Many reviews on sexual arousal in humans focus on different brain imaging methods and behavioral observations. Although neurotransmission in the brain is mainly performed through electrochemical signals, there are no systematic reviews of the electrophysiological correlates of sexual arousal. We performed a systematic search on this subject and reviewed 255 studies including various electrophysiological methods. Our results show how neuroelectric signals have been used to investigate genital somatotopy as well as basic genital physiology during sexual arousal and how cortical electric signals have been recorded during orgasm. Moreover, experiments on the interactions of cognition and sexual arousal in healthy subjects and in individuals with abnormal sexual preferences were analyzed as well as case studies on sexual disturbances associated with diseases of the nervous system. In addition, 25 studies focusing on brain potentials during the interaction of cognition and sexual arousal were eligible for meta-analysis. The results showed significant effect sizes for specific brain potentials during sexual stimulation (P3: Cohen's d = 1.82, N = 300, LPP: Cohen's d = 2.30, N = 510) with high heterogeneity between the combined studies. Taken together, our review shows how neuroelectric methods can consistently differentiate sexual arousal from other emotional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Ziogas
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Alleestrasse 61A, 8462, Rheinau, Switzerland.
| | - Elmar Habermeyer
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pekka Santtila
- Department of Arts & Sciences, New York University-Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Timm B Poeppl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Andreas Mokros
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Faculty of Psychology, Fern Universität in Hagen (University of Hagen), Hagen, Germany
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Gruia DC, Holmes L, Raines J, Slettevold E, Watts-Overall TM, Rieger G. Stability and Change in Sexual Orientation and Genital Arousal over Time. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:294-304. [PMID: 35412933 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2060927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal work suggests that sexual orientation can change over time in men and women. These studies, however, may be susceptible to the bias of self-report. The current study therefore examined self-reported sexual orientation in addition to an objective correlate: genital arousal to erotic videos showing males or females. For 52 men (19 heterosexual, 19 bisexual, 14 homosexual) and 67 women (31 heterosexual, 18 bisexual, 18 homosexual), these measures were taken twice, with approximately 1 year between sessions. For self-reported sexual orientation, women reported lower relative stability (weaker correlation) than men over time, even though women did not change more overall (no stronger mean difference) than men between sessions. Bisexual individuals reported lower relative stability and more mean change than heterosexual and homosexual individuals. For genital arousal, across all groups, response patterns were correlated over time to a similar extent and showed little difference between sessions. Moreover, change in self-reported sexual orientation did not correspond with the change in genital arousal, regardless of sex. Perhaps self-reports overestimate changes in sexual orientation, since these changes were not reflected in physiological sexual response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luke Holmes
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex
| | | | - Erlend Slettevold
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia
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Su Y, Zheng L. Stability and Change in Asexuality: Relationship Between Sexual/Romantic Attraction and Sexual Desire. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:231-241. [PMID: 35302908 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2045889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the stability and change in asexuality in terms of sexual orientation identity, sexual/romantic attraction, and sexual desire. Data were collected in three waves at 12-month intervals (n = 168). In each wave, the participants completed measures of sexual/romantic orientation identity, sexual/romantic attraction, the Sexual Desire Inventory, and the Asexuality Identification Scale (AIS). Approximately 83% of asexual and gray-asexual individuals maintained their sexual orientation identity between two adjacent waves. The latent growth models indicated an increased tendency for sexual/romantic attraction and solitary sexual desire, while a decreased tendency for AIS over time was established. Only the sexual attraction slope significantly predicted asexual identity, indicating a longitudinal effect of sexual attraction on asexual identification. Initial levels of sexual attraction, and scores on the AIS and dyadic sexual desire (DSD) were associated with stability and changes in asexual identity. Asexual individuals who reported low sexual attraction, low DSD, and high AIS maintained their asexual identity, whereas those who reported high sexual attraction, high DSD, and low AIS were more likely to change their sexual orientation. The current findings indicate the relative stability of asexuality, which supports the notion that asexuality could be deemed a fourth sexual orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchen Su
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University
| | - Lijun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University
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Characteristics of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Diagnosed in Adulthood: A Literature Review and Case Series. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12020653. [PMID: 36675589 PMCID: PMC9866811 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12020653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by impaired cortisol synthesis. CAH, depending on its clinical form, is usually diagnosed in the neonatal period, later in childhood, in adolescence, or in young adults. Herein, we report a case series of eight individuals in whom CAH was diagnosed between the ages of 18 and 81 years. METHODS We report on clinical presentations, hormonal tests, adrenal/gonadal imaging, and genetic findings. The clinical data of eight people with CAH, including four women (46, XX) and four men (46, XY), were reviewed. A genetic analysis of the cytochrome P450 family 21 subfamily A member 2 (CYP21A2) gene was performed in six patients. A comprehensive literature review was also conducted. CASE SERIES Partial cortisol deficiency was found in all patients. The most frequent genotype was the homozygotic I173N mutation in CYP21A2. Adrenal masses were detected in seven patients, except for the youngest. Most of the patients were of short stature. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism was detected in two males, and three females presented with primary amenorrhea. Hirsutism was noticeable in three females. All of the patients developed insulin resistance, and half of them were obese. CONCLUSIONS The clinical presentations of different forms of CAH overlapped. Genotype-phenotype correlations were strong but not absolute. The management of CAH should be individualized and based on clinical and laboratory findings. Furthermore, the assessment of the cortisol response to adrenocorticotrophic hormone stimulation should be mandatory in all adults with CAH. Additionally, the regular long-term screening of cardiometabolic status is required in the CAH population.
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Pfaus JG. The Cancer of Cancel Culture: Spreading "Correct" Scientific Ideologies Across North American Academia. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:43-47. [PMID: 36344788 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02452-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The spread of "cancel culture" related to sex and gender controversies in North America is examined as part of a larger movement to politicize sex research findings and certain sex and gender narratives as "correct" and "incorrect" from a so-called social justice standpoint. This binary is then used by academic administrators and empowered individuals or self-interest groups to reward or punish scholars for their viewpoints. The cases described by Meyer-Bahlburg, Lowrey, and Hooven are concrete examples of a growing "sexual McCarthyism" where empirical results are challenged by offended social justice "warriors" and embellished on social media into ad hominem attacks, to the point that it can damage-or even cancel-the careers of productive sexual scientists. This occurs largely out of fear on the part of academic administrators and lawyers charged with protecting the university from "brand damage" that might occur if the offending scholar is not dealt with. Sexual scientists are being vilified for research on sex differences, sex/gender assignment and subsequent causes for transitioning and/or de-transitioning, research that shows few or no untoward social or psychological effects of viewing pornography, research that debunks the notion of porn or sex "addiction," research showing the efficacy of medications to treat sexual desire disorders in women, research on "minor attracted persons" and even animal research that dares to show homologies to human sexual behavior. The silencing of empirical evidence and alternative viewpoints is contrary to the intellectual mission of universities and destructive to academic and political freedoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Pfaus
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Pátkova 2137/5, 18200 Praha 8-Libeň, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Division of Sexual Neuroscience, Center for Sexual Health and Intervention, Czech National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.
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Cao Z, Cini E, Pellegrini D, Fragkos KC. The association between sexual orientation and eating disorders-related eating behaviours in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2023; 31:46-64. [PMID: 36367345 PMCID: PMC10100331 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual orientation is usually developed during the adolescence, which coincides with the eating disorders peak onset. This paper aims to explore existing literature to identify whether there is an association between sexual orientation and eating disorder-related eating behaviours (EDrEBs) in this age-group. METHODS This review was based on the PRISMA guidelines, covering the published articles between 1990 and 2021. A meta-analysis of the proportion of sexual orientation and the adjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confident intervals was reported. RESULTS Ten studies (412,601 participants) were included in this review. The results demonstrated adolescents identified as minority sexual orientation, particularly homosexual males were with higher OR of EDrEBs, as follows: Homosexual (binge eating: M = 7.20, F = 2.14; purging: M = 5.40, F = 2.41; diet pills use: M = 3.50, F = 2.59; dieting: M = 3.10, F = 1.75); Bisexual (binge eating: M = 4.60, F = 2.26; purging: M = 4.44, F = 2.37; diet pills use: M = 3.42, F = 2.30; dieting: M = 2.36, F = 1.86). CONCLUSIONS Adolescents who were of a minority sexual orientation were more vulnerable to EDrEBs than their heterosexual peers. Healthcare professionals and sexual minority communities should be primed to facilitate earlier recognition and access to services in these vulnerable groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erica Cini
- University College London, London, UK.,East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,King's College London, London, UK
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45
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Gay and Straight Men Prefer Masculine-Presenting Gay Men for a High-Status Role: Evidence From an Ecologically Valid Experiment. SEX ROLES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-022-01332-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThere is increased acceptance of gay men in most Western societies. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that feminine-presenting gay men are still disadvantaged compared to gay men who present in a more traditionally masculine way. Though gay men themselves may be complicit in perpetuating this bias, studies that demonstrate this possibility are scant. Whereas most studies on perceptions of feminine-presenting gay men have manipulated gender nonconformity via written descriptions, research suggests that behavioural cues such as voice and body-language can mitigate or exacerbate prejudice toward a stereotyped individual. In the current study, audio-visual stimuli were created to investigate how masculine versus feminine behaviour would impact status endowment from other gay and heterosexual men. In total, 256 men (Mage = 42.73, SD = 14.48: half gay; half heterosexual) cast, from a selection of six video-taped candidates, one gay man to play a lead role in a purported ad for a tourism campaign. In the videos, the actors delivered a script related to the tourism campaign in a manner where their voice and body-language was manipulated to come across as either masculine or feminine-presenting. Findings indicated that gay and heterosexual participants showed a significant preference for the masculine videoclips. For heterosexual men, the preference for masculine-presenting actors was predicted by greater anti-gay sentiment, whereas internalised anti-gay prejudice did not predict a preference for masculine-presentation among gay men. Implications of the findings for discourse and education on intraminority prejudice and suggestions for future research are offered.
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46
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Stigmatisation of People with Deviant Sexual Interest: A Comparative Study. SEXES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sexes4010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Pedophilia is a deviant sexual interest subject to more public stigma and punitive attitudes than others. Pedophilia has received a disproportionate amount of scholarly attention in comparison to other deviant sexual interests. To address this, the present study offers a comparison of the public stigma and punitive attitudes associated with pedophilia, fetishism, and hypersexuality. Methods: Recruited in Australia, one-hundred and twelve individuals participated in an anonymous online survey. Stigmatising and punitive attitudes toward pedophilia, fetishism, and hypersexuality were assessed via sub-scales of perceived dangerousness, deviance, intentionality, and punitive attitudes. Results: Participants held harsher punitive attitudes toward people with pedophilia and thought them to be more deviant and dangerous than people with fetishism and hypersexuality. Participants perceived hypersexuality to be more dangerous and deviant than fetishism. No consistent combination of perceived dangerousness, deviance, and intentionality predicted punitive attitudes toward all conditions. Rather, combinations of punitive attitude predictors were unique across conditions. Conclusions: This research articulates the unparalleled public stigma and punitive attitudes faced by people with pedophilia, compared to people with fetishism and hypersexuality. Findings which suggest that public stigma is stronger for hypersexuality than it is for fetishism are relatively novel, as are the observed predictors of punitive attitudes toward each condition. Knowledge produced by this study contributes to an improved conceptualisation of how the public views individuals who experience deviant sexual interests.
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Casper AMA, Rebolledo N, Lane AK, Jude L, Eddy SL. "It's completely erasure": A Qualitative Exploration of Experiences of Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Nonconforming, and Questioning Students in Biology Courses. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2022; 21:ar69. [PMID: 36112619 PMCID: PMC9727607 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.21-12-0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Biology is the study of the diversity of life, which includes diversity in sex, gender, and sexual, romantic, and related orientations. However, a small body of literature suggests that undergraduate biology courses focus on only a narrow representation of this diversity (binary sexes, heterosexual orientations, etc.). In this study, we interviewed students with queer genders to understand the messages about sex, gender, and orientation they encountered in biology and the impact of these messages on them. We found five overarching themes in these interviews. Students described two narratives about sex, gender, and orientation in their biology classes that made biology implicitly exclusionary. These narratives harmed students by impacting their sense of belonging, career preparation, and interest in biology content. However, students employed a range of resilience strategies to resist these harms. Finally, students described the currently unrealized potential for biology and biology courses to validate queer identities by representing the diversity in sex and orientation in biology. We provide teaching suggestions derived from student interviews for making biology more queer-inclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Aramati Casper
- Department of Biology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1372
| | - Nico Rebolledo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
| | - A. Kelly Lane
- Biology Teaching and Learning, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | | | - Sarah L. Eddy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
- *Address correspondence to: Sarah L. Eddy ()
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Xu Y, Rahman Q. Sexual orientation disparities in the developmental trajectories of emotional and behavioral difficulties from childhood to early adolescence. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:1505-1512. [PMID: 35253224 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and asexual adolescents are at increased risk of poor mental health outcomes but it remains unknown whether this disparity emerges from early childhood and through to adolescence. This study tested sexual orientation disparities in the developmental trajectories of emotional and behavioral difficulties from ages 5 to 14 years, and the influence of early life adversities upon them. METHODS The Millennium Cohort Study, a British birth cohort, was used (4,838 boys and 5,016 girls). Parent-report emotional and behavioral difficulties at ages 5, 7, 11, and 14 were measured using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Sexual orientation was measured via sexual attraction at age 17. Early life adversities in the first 5 years of life, including parental age at birth, birthweight, duration of breastfeeding, parent-child relationship quality, and parental absence, were collected prospectively. RESULTS Latent growth modeling suggested that, for both sexes, sexual orientation disparities in emotional and behavioral difficulties increased from age 5 to 14 years. Homosexual and bisexual girls displayed significantly greater emotional and behavioral difficulties than heterosexual girls at ages 7, 11, and 14. Homosexual and bisexual boys displayed significantly greater emotional and behavioral difficulties than heterosexual boys at ages 11 and 14. Asexual boys and girls displayed significantly greater emotional and behavioral difficulties than their heterosexual counterparts at all four ages. For both sexes, sexual orientation disparities in emotional and behavioral difficulties only reduced slightly in magnitude after controlling for early life adversities. CONCLUSIONS Sexual minority disparities in emotional and behavioral difficulties increased from childhood to early adolescence, possibly due to the accumulation of susceptibility to minority-related stressors. Sex and early life adversity may contribute to these developmental disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Department of Sociology and Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Källström M, Nousiainen N, Jern P, Nickull S, Gunst A. Mental health among sexual and gender minorities: A Finnish population-based study of anxiety and depression discrepancies between individuals of diverse sexual orientations and gender minorities and the majority population. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276550. [PMID: 36331970 PMCID: PMC9635740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Substantial empirical evidence suggests that individuals who belong to sexual and gender minorities experience more anxiety and depression than heterosexual and cisgender people. Many previous studies have not, however, used population-based samples. There is also a shortage of evidence about certain sexual and gender minorities (e.g., nonbinary individuals). We examined differences in levels of anxiety and depression within sexual and gender minorities, as well as compared to the heterosexual and cisgender majority in a population-based Finnish sample (N = 8,589). We also explored if individuals who belong to both a gender and a sexual minority (double minority) reported higher rates of anxiety and depression than individuals who hold either a gender or a sexual minority status (single minority). Individuals who belonged to either a sexual or a gender minority overall experienced significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression than cisgender and heterosexual individuals. Among the different sexual and gender minorities, bisexual, emerging identity, and nonbinary individuals reported the highest rates of anxiety and depression. We found no differences in anxiety and depression between single minority and double minority individuals. Our results suggest that even though Finland is a country with an inclusive social climate, sexual and gender minorities are, nevertheless, disproportionately affected by mental health issues. The present study gives further support to the claim that individuals holding a sexual or gender minority status experience higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to cisgender and heterosexual individuals and pinpoints the need to acknowledge these issues both in the context of health care and in the society at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Källström
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Nicole Nousiainen
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Patrick Jern
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Sabina Nickull
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Annika Gunst
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
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50
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Blanchard R, Skorska MN. New Data on Birth Order in Homosexual Men and Women and a Reply to Vilsmeier et al. (2021a, 2021b). ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3319-3349. [PMID: 35713755 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02362-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The fraternal birth order effect (FBOE) is the repeated finding that older brothers increase the odds of homosexuality in later-born males. It has been our working assumption, based on the majority of previous studies, that a similar FBOE does not occur in females. In an elaborate quantitative review posted last year to a preprint server, Vilsmeier et al. (2021a) concluded that there is no valid evidence for an FBOE in men or women. Ablaza et al. (2022) subsequently published a study of population-level data from the Netherlands with conclusions completely opposite to those of Vilsmeier et al., namely, that there is robust evidence of an FBOE in both men and women. The present research was initially undertaken to refute the assertion of Vilsmeier et al. that there is no proof of an FBOE in men and to investigate how they obtained such a discrepant conclusion. We found evidence that the discrepancy may relate to Vilsmeier et al.'s use of the large and demonstrably unreliable sample published by Frisch and Hviid (2006). After the publication by Ablaza et al., we expanded our article to address their finding of an FBOE in women. We argue that our preferred explanation of the FBOE in men-that it reflects the progressive immunization of some mothers to Y-linked antigen by each succeeding male fetus and the concomitantly increasing effects of anti-male antibody on sexual differentiation in the brain in each succeeding male fetus-could plausibly be extended to female homosexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Blanchard
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.
| | - Malvina N Skorska
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
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