Posted on 10/06/2003 4:07:01 PM PDT by AntiGuv
MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDayNews) -- The origins of sexual orientation may be evident in the blink of an eye.
In what is the first study to show an apparent link between a non-learned trait and sexual orientation, British researchers have discovered the way peoples' eyes respond to sudden loud noises may signal differences between heterosexual and homosexual men and women that were developed before birth.
The authors, whose study appears in the October issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, say about 4 percent of men and 3 percent of women are gay. Scientists have long sought to determine whether sexuality is learned or biological.
"We have several decades of research which suggests rather strongly that human sexual orientation is to some degree biologically determined," says study author Qazi Rahman, a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of East London. "The problem with those types of studies is that we can't disentangle the effects of learning."
The question then became, "What kind of task could be used that is not influenced by learning or socialization?" The answer came in human startle responses, which are involuntary and instinctual.
Specifically, Rahman and his colleagues decided to use pre-pulse inhibition (PPI). When humans hear a sudden noise, they respond by blinking. If that loud noise is preceded by a quieter noise (the pre-pulse), the response to the second, loud noise is weaker. In other words, it is inhibited.
The researchers compared responses to a loud noise both alone and after a quieter noise to see what the degree of inhibition was. Participants were 59 gay and straight men and women.
In the heterosexual women, the PPI averaged 13 percent and, in heterosexual men, 40 percent.
Lesbians, however, had a PPI of 33 percent, closer to the straight-man end of the spectrum, while gay men averaged 32 percent, slightly lower than that of straight men but not statistically significant.
The findings are consistent with other studies, which have found that certain traits in lesbians are highly "masculinized," while the same traits in gay men are almost the same as in straight men.
While it's difficult to make generalizations about gay behavior on the basis of these findings (for example, "all gay male thinking is like that of women"), it is possible to build a case for the origins of sexuality, the authors say.
"On the basis of these results and in conjunction with the bulk of the literature in the last three decades or so, the evidence points to some prenatal factor or factors [in determining sexual preference]," Rahman says.
The findings could have implications for a number of social issues.
"Actual sexual orientation and sex-related research is now being accepted as a legitimate national investment in terms of research," Rahman says. "We have problems with STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]. Understanding sexual behavior is clearly important to that."
The findings may also help illuminate sex differences in mental health issues. "Although homosexuality per se is not related to psychiatric problems, on those occasions that gays and lesbians do present with psychiatric problems, they often show disorders that are typical of the opposite sex," Rahman says. Gay men, for example, may be more likely to suffer depression, anxiety and eating disorders than their straight counterparts, while lesbians may be more vulnerable to substance abuse than heterosexual women.
"Maybe having an understanding of brain basis of sexual orientation in healthy individuals may give us some clues in what is going wrong in the brain circuitry underlying certain psychiatric problems," Rahman says. "In the future, we may be able to tailor treatments more specifically."
It's important not to draw too many generalizations. "It's not that the gay brain is like the heterosexual brain of the opposite sex. It seems to be a mosaic of male and female typical traits," Rahman says. "Because we're looking at humans, thing are always more complicated that you would expect."
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wasn't there a study that actually showed that gay men typically have higher testosterone levels than straight men....
in fact, some very brutal and authoritarian type men are homosexual....
All human beings are biologically heterosexual. It is the nature of the beast.
Many folks hold to your position. The experts disagree, even pro-gay experts have admitted environment is the major factor in determining homosexualty.
Indeed. They tried to recruit me for years, offering me expensive gifts such as cars, watches, cruises, stereo systems and many other items. "Just try it once", they pleaded. "Just let me see it," others said.
Telling them "I'm not even remotely interested" didn't stop 'em. Homosexuals recruit, no doubt about it.
From the stories if read from those who undertook the journey to drop SSAD (same sex addiction disorder) from their lives, it is a far more insidious, gruesome type of bribery.
Most follow along these lines-predatory homosexuals, like many of us, can sense when someone, especially a child, is lonesome, in need of friendship and care, and hungry for approval. Enter the homosexual on the make-say a boy scout leader or predatory homosexual priest...the wooing begins. With care (translated love with a purpose-the purpose being a fine orgasm at some point down the road) the homosexual engages the trust and friendship of the target. After the molestation is complete-the most COMMON term other than threats regarding silence is the horror of the child hearing 'IF YOU WERE NOT A HOMOSEXUAL THIS COULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED'
And another life is ruined...another little one becomes sucked up into the wave of homosexual degradation-possibly for life. Because pleasure is pleasure, and the guilt and confusion runs deep, and the psychotic homosexuals who recruit move on to the next desirable, prepubescent target.....hungering for the little body so ripe for abuse. But it is the mind they crush that, in the end, is the most devastating.
Bribery-yeah. But bribery for something that leaves the target devastated, often, for life.
Also this:
"Although homosexuality per se is not related to psychiatric problems, on those occasions that gays and lesbians do present with psychiatric problems, they often show disorders that are typical of the opposite sex,"
Shows right there that the researcher is completely biased on the homo-promotion side. There is much evidence showing not only that SSAD *is* an emotional and mental disorder itself, as well as evidence that a very larger proportion of homosexuals have mental and emotional problems than the general population.
Your saying it is so doesn't make it so.
I don't see why is so hard to accept.
It's impossible to accept because it isn't true.
Maybe that's because they constantly have to deal with ignorant bigots who hate and mistreat them.
Promoters of the "gay" agenda say this all the time. But I haven't seen any research that shows that any animals *prefer* their own sex when the opposite sex is available.
Also, many animals eat their young, are never monogamous, live in herds, don't build houses, etc. So why does the fact (if it is a fact) that SOME animals screw members of the same sex occasionally have anything to do with whether SSAD is normal or not for humans?
Might as well ask if monogamy is normal or biological for humans. And some moral relativists have asked that, and decided it isn't. And that is just an excuse for promiscuity. Humans have something animals don't - conscience, and free will.
That's it exactly. With me it was mostly wealthy homosexuals who wanted to provide a place to live for a homeless teenager... in exchange for being their butty. It's the gifts, or the offering of the gifts I remember most. Sometimes it was drugs offered. It was usually somebody who wanted to act as an older brother or father figure, something I didn't really have at that time in my life and they knew it.
That's key to the argument. It's too bad those who use the homosexuality in nature argument aren't as honest with the facts.
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