ISSN:
1573-2800
Keywords:
maternal stress
;
sexual orientation
;
etiology
;
homosexuality
;
familiality
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
,
Psychology
Notes:
Abstract Both the neurohormonal theory of sexual orientation and previous research on humans and animals suggest that male homosexuality may arise from prenatal stress during the brain's sexual differentiation. Stress-proneness and retrospective reports of stress during pregnancy were obtained from mothers of male and female heterosexuals, bisexuals, and homosexuals. Each mother also rated pregnancy stress for a heterosexual sibling of the subject. For males, neither between-family nor within-family analyses revealed a maternal stress effect for either sexual orientation or childhood gender nonconformity. However, mothers of effeminate children reported more stress-proneness than other mothers. Male homosexuality nevertheless was strongly familial, suggesting a reconsideration of genetic and familial environmental mechanisms.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01541847
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