How Does Hormones Affect Sexual Orientation Essay

Proponents have also argued that hormones are the primary determinant of sexual orientation, or a co-factor with environmental and social conditions, biological factors, or genes. Having seen that many genetic screens have failed to turn up genes that are responsible for sexual orientation, colleagues have researched that homosexuality may be a carry-over from one s parents prenatal resistance to the hormones of the opposite sex. Early hormones have been hypothesized to influence both sexual orientation and related childhood sex-typed behaviors. Seeing that sexual differentiation occurs in the womb, as a result of hormonal influences, it has been believed that homosexuality may result from a differential hormone balance in the wombs of those who eventually display a homosexual preference. Since hormonal levels within the womb are not available, representatives for hormonal influences have been used to examine the question of how hormonal influences might impact sexual orientation. T hese proxies include differences in size and shape, including the ratio of the longer bones of the arms and legs relative to arm span or stature and the hand bones of adults. In some cases, studies have shown that the mothers of homosexual males suffered a high degree of stress throughout their duration of their pregnancy. Since stress affects hormonal levels, researchers have suggested that decreased levels of testosterone could lead to a demasculinization of the development of the brain.Show MoreRelatedGay Straight, And The Reason Why Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pagesdebated where our sexual orientation comes from, particularly whether its biological or social forces driving these behaviors. 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