scholarly journals Sexual Orientation and Neuroanatomy: An MRI Study of Gray Matter Differences in Homosexual, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Women and Men

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Klimaj ◽  
Adam Safron ◽  
David Sylva ◽  
A.M. Rosenthal ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Homosexual Men ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Whole Brain ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Subcortical Volumes

In this study, we attempted to replicate past work focusing on differences in neuroanatomical structures between heterosexual and homosexual men and women. We also performed the first analyses of sexual orientation and neuroanatomy to include bisexual men and women. Sex differences in raw subcortical volumes were consistent with past work and a broader literature on sex differences, showing larger raw subcortical volumes in male groups than female groups. However, we did not confirm past findings showing larger raw volumes in heterosexual than in homosexual men in the left thalamus or right thalamus. Additionally, we did not confirm past findings showing thicker cortices in heterosexual men than in homosexual men in visual/occipital areas (right cuneus, right lingual gyrus, right pericalcarine cortex) or a frontal area (right pars triangularis). Exploratory whole-brain analyses revealed several areas of difference between women that may be of interest for future confirmatory research. Bisexual women had smaller volumes in a region of the olfactory tubercule than heterosexual women as well as a thicker right anterior insula region than homosexual women. Homosexual women had smaller volumes in regions of the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) than both heterosexual women and bisexual women. The functional relevance of these brain areas in terms of understanding female sexual orientation is unclear. However, based on these areas, future work may wish to consider the potential social, emotional, attentional, interoceptive, or general reward-related characteristics that may differentiate women with different attraction patterns. In contrast to previous work, no differences were found between groups of men (heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual) in any of our analyses. Finally, in terms of whole-brain analyses of sex differences, heterosexual women had both thicker cortices and larger (relative to the whole brain) gray matter volume than heterosexual men in the superior frontal gyrus, in contrast to large-scale studies of sex difference. Although statistically significant at a stringent threshold (FWE-corrected), our whole-brain findings should be interpreted and generalized with caution. The heterogeneity of patterns across analyses of sexual orientation and brain structure (and even across studies of sex/gender and brain structure) suggests that findings may potentially depend upon particular sample characteristics, and potentially Type 1 error due to the testing of many different brain areas.

scholarly journals Sexual orientation and health behaviors among college students in Italy

Genus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Sironi ◽  
Julie Fricke
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Homosexual Men ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Emotional Life ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Heterosexual Women

AbstractStudies regarding sexual orientation and health behaviors have largely neglected the Italian context. This research utilizes the second wave of the ‘Sexual and Emotional Life of Youths’ (SELFY) data set to compare the health behaviors of sexual minority (SM) and heterosexual college students in Italy. Results showed that bisexual women were more likely than heterosexual women to smoke both 1–7 and 8+ cigarettes per day, get drunk sometimes and often/very often, and use marijuana and/or ecstasy sometimes and often/very often. Homosexual women were more likely than heterosexual women to smoke 1–7 cigarettes per day, get drunk often/very often, and use marijuana and/or ecstasy often/very often. Homosexual men were more likely than heterosexual men to smoke 8+ cigarettes per day, but less likely to get drunk often/very often. Bisexual men were less likely than heterosexual men to participate in physical activity sometimes, often, and very often. Finally, bisexual men were less likely to exercise often than homosexual men. This work highlights that SM college students in Italy, particularly women, are more likely to engage in specific risky health behaviors compared to their heterosexual counterparts. More attention needs to be given to SMs in Italy to inform the Italian national health care system and to ensure that the appropriate care can be provided when required.

scholarly journals Sexual orientation and cognitive ability: A multivariate meta-analytic follow-up

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Xu ◽  
Sam Norton ◽  
Qazi Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Homosexual Men ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Heterosexual Women

A cross-sex shift model of human sexual orientation differences predicts that homosexual men should perform or score in the direction of heterosexual women, and homosexual women in the direction of heterosexual men, in behavioral domains such as cognition and personality. In order to test whether homosexual men and women’s cognitive performance was closer to that of heterosexual men or that of heterosexual women (i.e., sex atypical for their sex), we conducted a multivariate meta-analysis based on data from our previous meta-analysis (Xu, Norton, & Rahman, 2017). A subset of this data was used and comprised a total of 49 samples and 251,393 participants. The multivariate meta-analysis revealed that homosexual men were indeed sex-atypical in mental rotation (Hedges’ g = -0.36) and the Water Level Test (Hedges’ g = -0.55). In mental rotation, homosexual men were somewhat in-between heterosexual men and women. There was no significant group difference on spatial location memory. Homosexual men were also sex atypical on male-favoring spatial-related tasks (Hedges’ g = -0.54), and female-favoring spatial-related tasks (Hedges’ g = 0.38). Homosexual women tended to be sex-typical (similar to heterosexual women). There were no significant group differences on male-favoring other tasks or female-favoring verbal-related tasks. Heterosexual men and women differed significantly on female-favoring other tasks. These results support the cross-sex shift hypothesis which predicts that homosexual men perform in the direction of heterosexual women in sex differentiated cognitive domains. However, the type of task and cognitive domain tested is critical.

Birth Order and Sibling Sex Ratio in Relation to Sexual Orientation in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 995-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Xu ◽  
Yong Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Birth Order ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Homosexual Men ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Chinese Parents ◽  
Older Brothers ◽  
Sibling Sex Ratio

We examined birth order and sibling sex ratio in relation to sexual orientation within a Chinese cultural context. A total of 672 people comprising 160 heterosexual men, 215 homosexual men, 255 heterosexual women, and 42 homosexual women, took part in a web-based survey. Our results showed that as a whole homosexual and heterosexual men had a significantly late position in the birth order of the children in their families, but that the same phenomenon did not apply for homosexual women. In contrast to studies involving Western populations, in this study heterosexual and homosexual men had a significant excess of older sisters, but not older brothers when compared with the norm in a Chinese population. We concluded that the male-preference stopping rule adopted by Chinese parents affected birth order and sibling sex ratio in relation to sexual orientation.

scholarly journals Comparison of Treatment Outcomes Between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Heterosexual Individuals Receiving a Primary Care Psychological Intervention

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine A. Rimes ◽  
Matthew Broadbent ◽  
Rachel Holden ◽  
Qazi Rahman ◽  
David Hambrook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Treatment Outcomes ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
And Bisexual

Background: Lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals experience more anxiety and depression than heterosexual people. Little is known about their comparative treatment response to psychological interventions. Aims: To compare sociodemographic/clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes across sexual orientation groups, for adults receiving primary care psychological interventions from Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services in London, adjusting for possible confounders. Method: Data from 188 lesbian women, 222 bisexual women, 6637 heterosexual women, 645 gay men, 75 bisexual men and 3024 heterosexual men were analysed from pre-treatment and last treatment sessions. Males and females were analysed separately. Results: Before treatment, lesbian and bisexual women were more likely to report clinical levels of impairment (Work and Social Adjustment Scale) than heterosexual women; there were no significant differences in depression (PHQ-9) or anxiety (GAD-7). Bisexual men were more likely to meet depression caseness than gay men but less likely to meet anxiety caseness than gay or heterosexual men. Compared with heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual individuals showed smaller reductions in depression and impairment, controlling for age, ethnicity, employment, baseline symptoms, number of sessions and intervention type. Bisexual women experienced significantly smaller reductions in anxiety than heterosexual women and were less likely to show recovery or reliable recovery. There were no significant differences in treatment outcomes between gay, bisexual and heterosexual men. Conclusions: Reasons for poorer outcomes in lesbian and bisexual women require investigation, for example lifetime trauma or stigma/discrimination regarding gender or sexual orientation in everyday life or within therapy services.

scholarly journals Military service experiences and reasons for service separation among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals in a large military cohort

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicia R. Carey ◽  
Isabel G. Jacobson ◽  
Keren Lehavot ◽  
Cynthia A. LeardMann ◽  
Claire A. Kolaja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Gay And Bisexual Men ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
The Military

Abstract Background The well-being of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals is a topic of increasing concern within the military where significant institutional barriers, targeted aggression, and differential organizational policies such as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” have historically contributed to experiences of exclusion and discrimination. However, limited research has examined specific military and post-separation experiences among LGB service members and veterans. The goal of this study was to examine differences in military and service separation experiences by sexual orientation among a large representative sample of United States service members and veterans. Methods Survey data from the 2016 Millennium Cohort Study follow-up questionnaire were used to assess sexual orientation and multiple outcomes of interest: military experiences (morale, feelings about the military, missed workdays) and service separation experiences (reasons for separation, post-separation employment). The associations between sexual orientation (LGB versus heterosexual) and each of these outcomes were evaluated in a series of adjusted logistic regression models, stratified by sex when interactions were observed. Results Of the 99,599 participants, 3.4% identified as LGB. In adjusted models, LGB service members had significantly higher odds than heterosexual service members of feeling: unimpressed by the quality of unit leadership, unsupported by the military, and negative about the military overall. Bisexual women were more likely than heterosexual women to feel less unit camaraderie; both gay and bisexual men felt less camaraderie than heterosexual men. LGB veterans were more likely than heterosexual peers of the same sex to separate from service due to unplanned administrative reasons. Compared to heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual women were more likely to separate from service due to dissatisfaction with promotions/pay and disability/medical reasons, while bisexual women specifically separated due to dissatisfaction with leadership and incompatibility with the military. Gay and bisexual men also reported separating due to incompatibility with the military, but only bisexual men were more likely to report separating due to disability/medical reasons compared to heterosexual men. Conclusions Less positive military- and separation-specific experiences disproportionately affected LGB service members in this study. Promoting inclusion and increasing support for LGB service members may improve satisfaction with military service and retention.

scholarly journals Appearance-Related Partner Preferences and Body Image in a German Sample of Homosexual and Heterosexual Women and Men

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Cordes ◽  
Silja Vocks ◽  
Andrea S. Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Eating Pathology ◽  
The Body ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Homosexual Men ◽  
Drive For Thinness ◽  
Partner Preferences ◽  
Heterosexual Women

AbstractThere is evidence that gender as well as sexual orientation can affect body image. In particular, heterosexual women and homosexual men seem to be more vulnerable to a negative body image compared to homosexual women and heterosexual men. One reason for this may be derived from the fact that heterosexual women and homosexual men try to attract male romantic partners: As men place more importance on physical attractiveness than do women, the pressure to fulfill the sociocultural beauty ideal is thus increased. The present online study investigated differences in appearance-related partner preferences and their associations with measures of body image and eating pathology in homosexual and heterosexual women and men. The non-representative sample consisted of 893 participants (n = 201 lesbian women, n = 192 gay men, n = 349 heterosexual women, and n = 151 heterosexual men), who completed silhouette measures assessing their perception and expectations regarding body fat and muscularity of their own body and the body of a potential romantic partner, as well as questionnaires on drive for thinness, drive for muscularity, and eating pathology. Overall, few differences in appearance-related partner preferences emerged between the four groups. However, compared to heterosexual women, homosexual men appeared to prefer higher muscularity in potential romantic partners, which was also associated with increased drive for thinness and muscularity and increased eating pathology. The present findings indicate that, irrespective of sexual orientation, women and men tend to share similar standards regarding their own and a potential partner’s physical appearance, potentially suggesting an increased hegemony of heteronormative beauty ideals in women and men in general.

THE RELATION OF BIRTH ORDER TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN MEN AND WOMEN

1998 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAY BLANCHARD ◽  
KENNETH J. ZUCKER ◽  
MARVIN SIEGELMAN ◽  
ROBERT DICKEY ◽  
PHILIP KLASSEN
Keyword(s):  
Birth Order ◽  
Sexual Differentiation ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Homosexual Men ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Older Brothers ◽  
High Birth Order ◽  
The Brain

Homosexual men have a higher mean birth order than do heterosexual men, primarily because they have a greater number of older brothers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the same difference occurs in homosexual vs heterosexual women. The probands were 964 homosexual and heterosexual, male and female volunteers, from whom birth order data were collected with self-administered questionnaires. The homosexual men had more older brothers than the heterosexual men, but they did not have more older sisters, younger brothers, or younger sisters. The homosexual women did not differ from the heterosexual women with regard to any class of sibling. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the high birth order of homosexual men reflects the progressive immunization of certain mothers to H-Y antigen by succeeding male fetuses, and the increasing effects of H-Y antibodies on sexual differentiation of the brain in succeeding male fetuses.

scholarly journals Speech Acoustic Features: A Comparison of Gay Men, Heterosexual Men, and Heterosexual Women

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 2575-2583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Suire ◽  
Arnaud Tognetti ◽  
Valérie Durand ◽  
Michel Raymond ◽  
Melissa Barkat-Defradas
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Homosexual Men ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Acoustic Features ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
English Speaking

Abstract Potential differences between homosexual and heterosexual men have been studied on a diverse set of social and biological traits. Regarding acoustic features of speech, researchers have hypothesized a feminization of such characteristics in homosexual men, but previous investigations have so far produced mixed results. Moreover, most studies have been conducted with English-speaking populations, which calls for further cross-linguistic examinations. Lastly, no studies investigated so far the potential role of testosterone in the association between sexual orientation and speech acoustic features. To fill these gaps, we explored potential differences in acoustic features of speech between homosexual and heterosexual native French men and investigated whether the former showed a trend toward feminization by comparing theirs to that of heterosexual native French women. Lastly, we examined whether testosterone levels mediated the association between speech acoustic features and sexual orientation. We studied four sexually dimorphic acoustic features relevant for the qualification of feminine versus masculine voices: the fundamental frequency, its modulation, and two understudied acoustic features of speech, the harmonics-to-noise ratio (a proxy of vocal breathiness) and the jitter (a proxy of vocal roughness). Results showed that homosexual men displayed significantly higher pitch modulation patterns and less breathy voices compared to heterosexual men, with values shifted toward those of heterosexual women. Lastly, testosterone levels did not influence any of the investigated acoustic features. Combined with the literature conducted in other languages, our findings bring new support for the feminization hypothesis and suggest that the feminization of some acoustic features could be shared across languages.

Pharyngeal Flora in a Sexually Active Population

1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Russell ◽  
B S Azadian ◽  
A P Roberts ◽  
C A Talboys
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Heterosexual Men ◽  
Sexually Active ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Carriage Rate ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Charing Cross Hospital ◽  
Active Population ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Yeast Isolation

During a 7-week period 1141 patients attending the Genitourinary Clinic at Charing Cross Hospital completed a brief questionnaire and had pharyngeal swabs cultured for Neisseria spp, β-haemolytic streptococci, corynebacterium and yeasts. The study included 397 heterosexual men, 492 heterosexual women, 189 homosexuals, 41 lesbians and 22 bisexual men and women. Four hundred and sixty patients (40%) admitted oro-genital contact in the preceding 2 weeks. The meningococcal carriage rate was 11.6%. Homosexuals had the highest carriage 23.8% and heterosexual females the lowest 5.9%. Significant differences in carriage rates were found between homosexual and heterosexual men ( P<0.0001), heterosexual men and women ( P<0.005) and between lesbian and heterosexual women ( P< 0.025). Recent oro-anal contact significantly increased meningococcal isolation ( P<0.001). A significant association between β-haemolytic streptococci and concomitant meningococcal carriage was also found ( P<0.01). Sexual orientation and oro-genital contact influences both meningococcal and pharyngeal yeast isolation and should be considered when interpreting pharyngeal culture results.

scholarly journals Gender Expression, Sexual Orientation and Pain Sensitivity in Women

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob M Vigil ◽  
Lauren N Rowell ◽  
Charlotte Lutz
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Pain Sensitivity ◽  
Ischemic Pain ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Gender Expression ◽  
Heterosexual Women ◽  
Clinical Pain ◽  
Lower Pain ◽  
And Bisexual

BACKGROUND: Despite a growing body of literature investigating sex differences with regard to pain, surprisingly little research has been conducted on the influence of various aspects of self-identity, including gender expression and sexual orientation, on pain sensitivity within each sex, particularly among women. In men, dispositional femininity is linked to greater clinical pain and trait masculinity is associated with higher pain thresholds.OBJECTIVES: To examine whether gender expression and sexual orientation are associated with within-sex differences in ischemic pain sensitivity in healthy young women.METHODS: A convenience sample of 172 females (mean age 21.4 years; range 18 to 30 years of age; 56.0% white, 89% heterosexual) performed an ischemic pain task in counterbalanced order. Desired levels of dispositional femininity for a preferred romantic partner and self-described levels of personal dispositional femininity were measured.RESULTS: Compared with heterosexual women, lesbian and bisexual women reported lower pain intensity ratings early in the discomfort task. Irrespective of sexual orientation, attraction to more feminine romantic partners and dispositional masculinity were correlated with lower pain intensity, and with higher pain thresholds and tolerance levels.DISCUSSION: These preliminary findings suggest that within-sex differences in sexual orientation and other aspects of identity, irrespective of biological sex, may be important to consider when examining experimental pain performance and clinical pain experiences.CONCLUSION: Larger investigations of the psychophysiological relationships among sexual orientation, gender expression and pain sensitivity are warranted. These findings may have implications for differences in clinical pain sensitivity of lesbian and bisexual women compared with heterosexual women.

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