Sexual Orientation and Earnings. A Meta-Analysis 2012-2020

For a quarter of a century researchers investigating the origins of sexual orientation have largely ascribed to the fraternal birth order effect (FBOE) as a fact, holding that older brothers increase the odds of homosexual orientation among men through an immunoreactivity process. Here, we triangulate the empirical foundations of the FBOE from three distinct, informative perspectives: First, drawing on basic probability calculus, we deduce mathematically that the body of statistical evidence of the FBOE rests on the false assumptions that effects of family size should be controlled for and that this could be achieved through the use of ratio variables. Second, using a data-simulation approach, we demonstrate that by using ratio variables, researchers are bound to falsely declare corroborating evidence of an excess of older brothers at a rate of up to 100%, and that valid approaches attempting to quantify a potential excess of older brothers among homosexual men must control for the confounding effects of the number of older siblings. And third, we re-examine the empirical evidence of the FBOE by using a novel specification-curve and multiverse approach to meta-analysis. This yielded highly inconsistent and moreover similarly-sized effects across 64 male and 17 female samples (N = 2,778,998), compatible with an excess as well as with a lack of older brothers in both groups, thus, suggesting that almost no variation in the number of older brothers in men is attributable to sexual orientation.

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Sexual Orientation

Psychotherapy Relationships that Work ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190843960.003.0009 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 264-295

Author(s):

Bonnie Moradi ◽

Stephanie L. Budge

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Empirical Research ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Sexual Orientations ◽

Orientation Group

The clinical need for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ+) affirmative psychotherapies has been widely recognized; however, empirical research on the outcomes of such psychotherapies is limited. This chapter begins by offering definitions and delineating four key themes of LGBQ+ affirmative psychotherapies. The authors conceptualize LGBQ+ affirmative psychotherapies not as sexual orientation group specific but rather as considerations and practices that can be applied with all clients. The chapter then summarizes a search for studies to attempt a meta-analysis and discusses limitations and directions for research based on this search. The chapter ends by delineating diversity considerations and recommending therapeutic practices for advancing affirmative psychotherapy with clients of all sexual orientations.

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Disparities in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among bisexual people: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055747 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-055747

Author(s):

Mostafa Shokoohi ◽

Travis Salway ◽

Benjamin Ahn ◽

Lori E Ross

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Cigarette Smoking ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Age Groups ◽

Sample Type ◽

Bisexual Women ◽

Current Cigarette Smoking ◽

Current Cigarette ◽

Meta Regression

ObjectiveTo review the bisexual-specific prevalence and likelihood of cigarette smoking relative to lesbian/gay and heterosexual individuals.Data sourcesWe searched MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Scopus and LGBT Life databases (from 1995 to September 2019) for studies reporting cigarette smoking among bisexuals versus their comparators.Study selectionObservational, quantitative, peer-reviewed studies providing estimates for lifetime, past 30 days or current cigarette smoking among bisexuals and any of the two comparators were selected.Data extractionData on sexual orientation groups, cigarette smoking, sample type and mechanism, data collection mode, country and median year, as well as gender and age groups were extracted.Data synthesisRandom-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled OR (95% CIs) of cigarette smoking. Meta-regression was used to examine the difference in the prevalence of cigarette smoking by study and sample characteristics. Of 4663 unduplicated records, 47 unique studies were included (14, 23 and 22 studies on lifetime, past 30 days and current cigarette smoking, respectively). Compared with lesbians/gays and heterosexuals, bisexuals were 1.25 (1.15 to 1.37) and 2.18 (1.84 to 2.59) times more likely to report lifetime smoking, 1.17 (1.08 to 1.27) and 2.49 (2.20 to 2.83) times more likely to report past 30 days smoking and 1.19 (1.00 to 1.43) and 2.26 (1.97 to 2.59) times more likely to report current smoking. Gender was a significant covariate in the meta-regression models.ConclusionsCigarette smoking was more prevalent among bisexuals than lesbians/gays and heterosexuals, with the estimates showing a greater magnitude among bisexual women relative to all other sexual orientation/gender subgroups.

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Epidemiology of Cancers in Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM): A Protocol for Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17144954 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (14) ◽

pp. 4954

Author(s):

Manoj Kumar Honaryar ◽

Yelena Tarasenko ◽

Maribel Almonte ◽

Vitaly Smelov

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Umbrella Review ◽

Team Members ◽

Cochrane Database ◽

Health Community ◽

Global Epidemiology ◽

Sex With Men

While earlier studies on men having sex with men (MSM) tended to examine infection-related cancers, an increasing number of studies have been focusing on effects of sexual orientation on other cancers and social and cultural causes for cancer disparities. As a type of tertiary research, this umbrella review (UR) aims to synthesize findings from existing review studies on the effects of sexual orientation on cancer. Relevant peer-reviewed systematic reviews (SRs) will be identified without date or language restrictions using MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews, among others. The research team members will prepare the data extraction forms. Two reviewers will independently assess extracted SRs using the Assessment of Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews. A third reviewer will weigh in to resolve discrepancies. The reviewers will be blinded to publisher, journal, and authors, making their judgements on the title, year, and abstract. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis checklist will guide data synthesis. By collating evidence from multiple reviews into one accessible and usable document, our first UR on global epidemiology of malignancies among MSM would serve as an evidence-based decision-making tool for the public health community.

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