Startling Study Says People May Be Born Gay

Yahoo! News ^ | October 6, 2003 | Amanda Gardner

[El Conservador]

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 (news - web sites)). 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."

More information

The University of California, Davis has more on research related to sexual orientation, as does the American Psychological Association.

[El Conservador]

yes, you may be gay even if you don't know it!!! (/sarcasm)

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[Russell Scott]

Another lie straight out of the pit of hell.

[WackyKat]

Already posted hours ago.
Along with many bible-thumping replies

[Maelstrom]

Once again they have assumed causality when it is not necessarily apparent.

I have no doubt in my mind that participation in homosexual behavior has a physiological and neurologicaly impact. It is quite likely that those changes will be discovered in the brain and in neurological responses.

This disease, whether learned or congenital can still be cured through treatment.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

They can search all they want and they won't find it...like that infamous "missing link."

[donmeaker]

I always thought that human behavior was complicated, and could not be classified by a single variable. Expecially, since there is no difference on one of their scales, that should throw the whole thing down the drain.

One wonders what would be measured if someone picked a "bisexual", or a non-sexual child, or even a "post sexual" old person.

I suppose one could measure all these good things for blacks, whites, browns, orientals, amerinds, dogs, cats, chickens, sheep, horses, Jews and Goyim.

and then, you would still not know anything. Who says that with a sample size of only 59 college students, you are not measureing something else.

All the lesbians I ever met had been sexually abused. I would not doubt that their startle response would be different. The brain changes in response to past experience. A period of nervousness would lead to an enhanced startle response.

As good as their theory.

[TomServo]

Already posted here.

[pierrem15]

In any case, it's irrelevant: a child may be born with no legs or a taste for human flesh.

Neither of these conditions is "natural" in human beings, and these idiots don't know the difference between the effects of violence on nature and nature itself.

[xzins]

already posted; duplicate

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - SODOMITE ALERT

[GeronL]

That is fallacious... fallatio?

Its all wrong.

[max_rpf]

Tmrw we will have to watch them rolling over the other way... They cannot get pinned down on either 'genetic' or 'behaviour' because one could be cured, and the other could be shunned.

I am fine with either, I just wish one of these explinations was imposed on them so we can go about our business and begin ignoring them again.

[First_Salute]

What a "startling" dilemma for pro-abortion "rights" "advocates."

Sooner than you might think, they will begin testing babies (formerly, politically correct "fetuses") in the womb to find which are gay --- AND THEN "THE LEFT" WILL BAN ABORTING THE "GAY" BABIES ... while "normal" abortions will "naturally" be permitted, even "empowered."

[Coeur de Lion]

There may be a genetic basis for homosexuality which is not limited by the "The Law of Natural Selection"; i.e. the genetic trait for male homosexuality falls on the X chromosome which is solely inherited from the female. There may be some biological basis such as levels of certain hormones such as testosterone or estrogen present during the pregnancy. And there may be amble environmental drivers as a result of the attempt at the normalization and acceptability of homosexual behavior. I believe that's why it's not a black and white issue.

There's probably amble genetic predispositions which exist for alcoholism, pedophilia, obesity etc. but we don't consider them normal behaviors or acceptable. The only alcoholic who thinks drinking alcoholically is normal is with respect to the fact that for an alcoholic it is normal. And all recovering alcoholics find it unacceptable.

The case with homosexuality has nothing to do with "orientation". The issue is one of behavior and that's always been the case--even from a theological perspective!

[jammer]

While it's difficult to make generalizations about gay behavior on the basis of these findings

Isn't that the damned truth? So why do they make such a deal over it?

[punster]

Sexual orientation may not be genetic in origin. However, there is considerable evidence of congenital factors. Examples:

1. Rat experiments. Pregnant female rats were dosed with cyproterone acetate, a potent androgen blocking agent. When the drug was given during the period of fetal development corresponding to brain and central nervous system development, the male offspring exhibited female mating responses.

2. Girls that are born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The condition exposes the female fetuses to excess androgens during gestation. The incidence of lesbianism is increased among these girls.

3. Women that have androgen insensitivity syndrome. They are genetically XY (male) in their chromosome count. They do not respond to androgens (testosterone). They have female external genitals and they have a female sex drive and identify as women.

4. Women that have gonadal agenesis, Swyer's syndrome. They have an XY (male) cromosome count. However because of a defective SRY section of the Y chromosome, they do not develop testes. Because there is no testosterone or muellerian inhibiting hormone, they develop female external genital structure and they also develop a uterus, but no ovaries. They see themselves as women and have female sex drives. Medical literature reports that one of these women bore a child (in vitro fertilization of a donated ova and artificial implantation within the uterus).

The presence or absence of testosterone is the key to external genital development and development of sexual orientation and gender identity.

[thegreatbeast]

Wackjobs!

[Dan Evans]

Interesting thing about this is the reversal of the attitude on the left that genetics can influence behavior. Used to be they claimed that differences in behavior, like the differences between men and women, were all nurture. By presenting homosexuality as genetic they must figure they have legitimized special group status for the limp-wristed set.

[Ruth A.]

Tell that to all the "homos" who became such while incarcerated. Lots of choice in the matter, eh? How about those preyed upon by pedophiles?