Prenatal estrogens and the development of homosexual orientation. |
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Authors: | Meyer-Bahlburg, Heino F. L. Ehrhardt, Anke A. Rosen, Laura R. Gruen, Rhoda S. Veridiano, Norma P. Vann, Felix H. Neuwalder, Herbert F. |
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Abstract: | In psychobiological research on sexual orientation, the prenatal hormone theory has a central position. This article examines the hypothesis that prenatal estrogens contribute to the development of human sexual orientation. Several groups of women with a history of prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), a nonsteroidal synthetic estrogen, were compared with several samples of control women in the context of a comprehensive study of the psychiatric and psychologic effects of prenatal DES. Various aspects of sexual orientation were assessed by systematic interview. Consistently across samples, more DES-exposed women than controls were rated as bisexual or homosexual (scores 2–6 on Kinsey-format scales ranging from 0 to 6). The data are compatible with the hypothesis that prenatal estrogens may play a role in the development of human sexual orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
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