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PubMed2003

Can some gay men and lesbians change their sexual orientation? 200 participants reporting a change from homosexual to heterosexual orientation.

Position statements of the major mental health organizations in the United States state that there is no scientific evidence that a homosexual sexual orientation can be changed by psychotherapy, often referred to as "reparative therapy." This study tested the hypothesis that some individuals whose sexual orientation is predominantly homosexual can, with some form of reparative therapy, become predominantly heterosexual. The participants were 200 self-selected individuals (143 males, 57 females) who reported at least some minimal change from homosexual to heterosexual orientation that lasted at least 5 years. They were interviewed by telephone, using a structured interview that assessed same sex attraction, fantasy, yearning, and overt homosexual behavior. On all measures, the year prior to the therapy was compared to the year before the interview. The majority of participants gave reports of change from a predominantly or exclusively homosexual orientation before therapy to a predominantly or exclusively heterosexual orientation in the past year. Reports of complete change were uncommon. Female participants reported significantly more change than did male participants. Either some gay men and lesbians, following reparative therapy, actually change their predominantly homosexual orientation to a predominantly heterosexual orientation or some gay men and women construct elaborate self-deceptive narratives (or even lie) in which they claim to have changed their sexual orientation, or both. For many reasons, it is concluded that the participants' self-reports were, by-and-large, credible and that few elaborated self-deceptive narratives or lied. Thus, there is evidence that change in sexual orientation following some form of reparative therapy does occur in some gay men and lesbians.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal?

The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in exclusively heterosexual men who admitted negative affect toward homosexual individuals. Participants consisted of a group of homophobic men (n = 35) and a group of nonhomophobic men (n = 29); they were assigned to groups on the basis of their scores on the Index of Homophobia (W. W. Hudson & W. A. Ricketts, 1980). The men were exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual, and lesbian videotapes, and changes in penile circumference were monitored. They also completed an Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992). Both groups exhibited increases in penile circumference to the heterosexual and female homosexual videos. Only the homophobic men showed an increase in penile erection to male homosexual stimuli. The groups did not differ in aggression. Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Death in Venice: the homosexuality enigma.

A hypothesis is presented which regards homosexuality neither as an aberration of 'normal' human sexuality, i.e. heterosexuality, nor as a 'defect', genetically transmitted from parent(s) to offspring. Nor is homosexuality regarded as the regrettable result of accidental circumstances. Homosexuality, it is maintained, is simply inherent in the human reproductive strategy; an option which evolved during the millions of years of human evolution as a solution for problems inherent in a polygynic, yet social species living in relatively small groups: homosexuality diminishes intra-male competition on the 'reproductive market'. This enables males to work closely together in all fields of society (hunting, war etc), rather than competing with each other for access to females. Homosexuality thus largely contributes to group stability. However, because our present-day situation differs vastly from the situation in which the human reproductive strategy evolved, the phenomenon hardly plays a role any more in the maintainance of the fitness and the stability of the population as a whole. Instead, due to 'cultural', often religious prejudices, homosexuals nowadays are treated as belonging to an 'out-group', and discriminated against accordingly.

Female↗
PubMed1988

Attitudes toward condoms as AIDS prophylaxis in homosexual men: dimensions and measurement.

Increases in condom use among homosexually active men are crucial to containing the spread of AIDS. The present study examined the components of attitudes and beliefs toward condom use in homosexual and bisexual men using a modified version of Brown's Attitude toward condoms scale. Factor analysis revealed 5 clear dimensions: viewing condoms as unreliable and unerotic; as protection from infection; as unavailable when needed; as interrupting sex; and viewing condoms as a responsibility and being comfortable with condom use. 5 subscales constructed from these dimensions differentiated significantly between homosexual men who used condoms frequently and infrequently or never. 4 of the subscales (except Protection form Infection subscale) differentiated frequency of oral condom use; only the Responsibility and Comfort with Condom Use subscale differentiated frequency of anal condom use. The Homosexual Attitudes toward Condom use scale demonstrates that: dimensions of beliefs and attitudes toward condom use in homosexually active men differ substantially from those in heterosexual individuals; a reliable and valid scale for measuring such attitudes now exists; factors influencing condom use in this population differ for oral and anal intercourse; and this scale enables further research on determinants of condom use, and effects of modifying attitudes toward condom use in homosexually active men to be carried out.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

The efficacy of brief group counseling in HIV risk reduction among homosexual Asian and Pacific Islander men.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of AIDS is increasing at a higher rate among homosexual Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) than white homosexual men in the United States. The number of homosexual API men engaging in unsafe sex is increasing at an alarming rate. HIV risk reduction is urgently needed in this population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We developed and evaluated culturally appropriate brief group counseling with 329 self-identified homosexual API recruited in San Francisco between 1992 and 1994. Participants were randomized into a single, 3-h skills training group or a wait-list control group. The intervention consisted of four components: (1) development of positive self-identity and social support, (2) safer sex education, (3) eroticizing safer sex, and (4) negotiating safer sex. Data were collected at baseline and 3 months after the intervention. RESULTS: Significant reductions in number of sexual partners were observed among all treatment subjects, regardless of ethnicity (P = 0.003). Treatment decreased the number of partners reported at 3-month follow-up by 46% [95% confidence interval (CI), 28-77]. Chinese and Filipino men further benefited from the intervention: treatment subjects from these two ethnic groups reduced unprotected anal intercourse at follow-up by more than half when compared to their counterparts (odds ratio = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.19-0.89; P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the efficacy of brief group counseling in reducing HIV risk among homosexual API. Cities with significant API populations should adopt culturally tailored skills training as part of HIV prevention strategies for this group of homosexual men.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Homosexual parents.

Does the homosexuality of parents affect the sexual orientation or experiences of their children? Seventeen of 5,182 randomly obtained adults from six U.S. cities answered questionnaires indicating that they had a homosexual parent. Parental homosexuality may be related to findings that: (1) 5 of the 17 reported sexual relations with their parents; (2) a disproportionate fraction reported sexual relations with other caretakers and relatives; and (3) a disproportionate fraction: (a) claimed a less than exclusively heterosexual orientation (47%); (b) indicated gender dissatisfaction; and (c) reported that their first sexual experience was homosexual. Of 1,388 consecutive obituaries in a major homosexual newspaper, 87 of the gays who died had children and registered a median age of death of 47 (the 1,267 without children had a median age of death of 38); 10 lesbians did and 24 did not have children. We estimate that less than 1% of parents are bisexual or homosexual and that < 7% of gays and about a third of lesbians are parents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Cross-species and cross-cultural contributions to understanding homosexual activity.

Some forms of homosexual activity are widespread if not ubiquitous among studied mammals, occur invariably in all reported subhuman primates, and are present in most human cultures. Homo sapiens is the only species, however, in which adult preferential or obligatory homosexuality occurs naturally. Existing cross-species and cross-cultural reports are reviewed from behavioral, physiological, and evolutionary perspectives with a view toward clarifying the role of homosexual behavior in species interactions. The data suggest that preferential or obligatory homosexuality in adulthood, in the presence of available and receptive heterosexual partners, is qualitatively rather than quantitatively distinct from all other manifestations of homosexual activity, and that quantitative incidence rating scales obscure meaningful understanding of this dimension of homosexual behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Sex differences in sexual partner acquisition, retention, and harassment during female homosexual consortships in Japanese macaques.

Female Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in certain populations are unusual in that they exhibit male-typical patterns of mounting behavior and sexual-partner preference. The goal of this study was to determine whether female Japanese macaques, from one such population, employ male-typical behavioral tactics to disrupt existing homosexual consortships, as well as to acquire and retain same-sex sexual partners. "Harassment" of homosexual consortships occurred when a sexually motivated, third-party male or female interrupted a consorting female couple by displacing or aggressing them. Sexual harassment was a male-typical strategy for disrupting existing homosexual consortships, but was rarely performed by females. "Intrusions" occurred when a male or female competitor attempted to acquire exclusive access to a female engaged in a homosexual consortship by targeting that female as the focus of competition and her partner as his/her competitor. "Sexual coercion" occurred when one individual alternately sexually solicited and aggressed another individual as part of the same behavioral sequence during an intrusion. Males employed consortship intrusions and sexual coercion when they attempted to acquire female sexual partners that were already engaged in homosexual consortships, but females rarely did so. However, females did employ male-typical patterns of aggressive competition and sexual coercion to retain same-sex sexual partners when confronted with male competitors' attempts to usurp those partners. These results indicate that female sexual activity during homosexual consortships is not uniformly "masculine" in expression, but rather is a mixture of male- and female-typical behaviors.

Aggression↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunoregulatory T cell subsets in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: the influence of homosexuality.

The purposes of this study were 2-fold: (i) To enumerate peripheral immunoregulatory T cell subsets in untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and (ii) to examine the relationship between disturbances in the balance of lymphocyte subsets with liver disease and the presence of homosexuality. Circulating T lymphocyte subsets were evaluated by monoclonal antibodies to the following cell antigens: OKT3 (total T cells), OKT4 (helper/inducer T cells), and OKT8 (suppressor/cytotoxic T cells). The following groups of subjects were examined: (i) 16 heterosexuals with HBV-associated chronic active hepatitis (CAHB); (ii) 10 heterosexual, healthy HBsAg carriers, and (iii) 16 male homosexuals with CAHB. Controls included 51 healthy heterosexuals and 12 healthy, noninfected male homosexuals. We were able to demonstrate that heterosexuals with CAHB had T4/T8 ratios which did not differ from those of noninfected heterosexuals. Both healthy carriers and healthy homosexuals, however, exhibited significantly lower T4/T8 ratios than did noninfected heterosexuals (p less than 0.05, p less than 0.01, respectively). In addition, homosexuals with CAHB had lower (1.5 +/- 0.1) T4/T8 ratios than did heterosexuals with CAHB (2.0 +/- 0.2). A possible mechanism for these findings is discussed. The data indicate that the presence of homosexuality may be an important factor to consider when evaluating immunoregulatory subsets in CAHB.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1989

Randomized controlled trial of adenine arabinoside 5'-monophosphate in chronic active hepatitis B: comparison of the efficacy in heterosexual and homosexual patients.

Twenty-two heterosexuals and 21 homosexuals with chronic active hepatitis B and who had HBsAg, HBeAg and hepatitis B virus DNA in serum were randomized separately to receive adenine arabinoside monophosphate or placebo. In the 10 heterosexuals and nine homosexuals who received placebo, no change in hepatitis B virus DNA level and HBeAg was observed. Among the patients who received adenine arabinoside monophosphate, seven of the 12 heterosexuals and five of the 12 homosexuals lost hepatitis B virus DNA; five heterosexuals and three homosexuals also lost HBeAg; one homosexual lost HBsAg. There was no significant differences in response between heterosexual and homosexual patients. When results were pooled, there was a significant effect of adenine arabinoside monophosphate on hepatitis B virus replication. None of the 19 patients who received placebo but 50% of the 24 patients who received adenine arabinoside monophosphate were negative for serum hepatitis B virus DNA at 10 months after treatment (p less than 0.001) and none of the 19 patients who received placebo and 33% of the 24 patients who received adenine arabinoside monophosphate were negative for HBeAg in serum (p less than 0.005). Retrospective analysis showed that disappearance of hepatitis B virus DNA after administration of adenine arabinoside monophosphate was more common (i) in patients with a low pretreatment hepatitis B virus DNA level than in patients with a high pretreatment hepatitis B virus DNA level (8/11 vs. 4/13, p less than 0.05); (ii) in patients with a high pretreatment ALT level than in patients with a low pretreatment ALT level (10/14 vs. 2/10, p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Hepatitis delta virus infection in French male HBsAg-positive homosexuals.

The prevalence and serological features of hepatitis delta virus infections were studied in a French population of chronic, non-drug addict, hepatitis B surface antigen carriers: 42 male homosexual patients were compared to 30 nonhomosexuals (20 who evidently had not been exposed to any of the usual hepatitis B virus-hepatitis delta virus risk factors and 10 hemodialyzed patients or kidney allograft recipients). Six of the 42 male homosexuals (14.3%) had at least one serological marker of hepatitis delta virus infection (hepatitis delta antigen, total and/or IgM anti-hepatitis delta antibodies). Serological follow-up was obtained for five of these patients over several months and confirmed the chronicity of the delta infection in at least four of the five subjects. Hepatitis delta antigen and hepatitis delta virus RNA were found in the liver and in the serum, respectively, of four of the five tested patients. Hepatitis B virus DNA was negative in the serum of five of the six hepatitis delta virus-positive homosexuals vs. only eight of 35 hepatitis delta virus-negative homosexuals (p less than 0.02). Human immunodeficiency virus was negative in all of the nonhomosexuals; its prevalence did not differ between the hepatitis delta virus-positive and -negative homosexuals: three were human immunodeficiency virus-positive among the six former vs. 15 among the 36 latter. Human immunodeficiency virus positivity was without obvious influence on hepatitis B virus replication, since among 35 hepatitis delta virus-negative homosexuals hepatitis B virus DNA was found in 80% of the human immunodeficiency virus-positive individuals and 70% of those who were human immunodeficiency virus-negative.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Sibling sex ratio and male homosexuality.

As an explanation for the increased sex ratio observed in the sibships of male homosexuals, Slater has hypothesized that the increase, itself, may be a causative factor in predisposing a male to homosexual behavior. As a test of this hypothesis, an additive and a multiplicative risk model relating male homosexuality to the sexual configuration of the homosexual's sibship were formulated and tested against published data. Both models were found to predict a curvilinear decrease in sibling sex ratio as sibship size increased, and both models were found to fit the observed sibship size sex ratio data closely. The analysis suggests that approximately 10% of the variance in male homosexual behavior can be accounted for by the sexual configuration of the homosexual's sibship.

Family Characteristics↗
PubMed1984

A cross-cultural assessment of early cross-gender behavior and familial factors in male homosexuality.

The data presented here are based on interviews of nonclinical homosexual and heterosexual males of comparable social backgrounds in four societies: the United States, Guatemala, Brazil, and the Philippines. Responses to two lines of questioning are analyzed--items having to do with early cross-gender behavior and items having to do with familial factors commonly assumed to be conducive to homosexual orientation. Consistent patterns of early cross-gender behaviors are found in the homosexual groups in all four societies. Inconsistent results are found with respect to the items having to do with familial factors. It is concluded that (1) early cross-gender behavior is an intrinsic characteristic of male homosexuals, wherever they may be found, and (2) familial factors frequently regarded as conducive to homosexuality are probably not causative at all but rather are culturally variable reactions to emerging homosexuality.

Brazil↗
PubMed1975

A neuroendocrine predisposition for homosexuality in men.

In male rats, androgen deficiency during a critical hypothalamic organizational period was shown to give rise to a predominantly female-differentiated brain, homosexual behavior, and demonstration of a positive estrogen feedback effect. A positive estrogen feedback effect was also induced in intact homosexual men in contrast to intact heterosexual and bisexual men. Thus in 21 homosexual men an intravenous injection of 20 mg Presomen (Premarin) produced a significant decrease of serum LH levels followed by an increase above initial LH values. In 20 heterosexual and in five bisexual men, by contrast, intravenous estrogen administration, while producing a significant decrease of the serum LH level, was not followed by an increase above the initial LH values. Using a radioimmunoassay, plasma testosterone levels and 24-hr urinary excretions of unconjugated testosterone of adult homosexual men were found to be in the normal range as observed in heterosexual men. This finding suggests that homosexual men possess a predominantly female-differentiated brain which may be activated to homosexual behavior by normal or approximately normal androgen levels in adulthood.

Androgens↗
PubMed1975

Etiology and treatment of homosexuality: a review.

The major causal theories of and treatment approaches to male and female homosexuality are critically reviewed. Neither biological, psychoanalytic, nor learning and social-learning theories are found to provide convincing evidence for the etiology of homosexuality. All of these accounts, however, are viewed as providing mixed empirical support for their predictions, with social-learning research presenting the most consistent evidence. It is argued that both social-learning research findings and results from retrospective studies suggest that homosexuality may best be linked to the early qualitative learning and development of one's gender identity and gender role. Both psychoanalytic therapy and behavior therapy are found to have minimal successes and many failures. Most therapeutic successes seem to be with bisexuals rather than with exclusive homosexuals. The combined use of psychotherapy and specific behavioral techniques is seen to offer some promise for heterosexual adaptation with certain kinds of patients. However, it is argued that better prospects for intervention in homosexuality lie in its prevention through the early identification and treatment of the potential homosexual child.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1983

"Homophobia" or homosexual bias reconsidered.

Recent investigation into negative reactions to homosexuals has yielded a new concept, homophobia. This concept has been used to describe cultural, attitudinal, and personal biases against homosexuals. Such a broad usage of the concept threatens to restrict understanding of negative reactions to homosexuals, and to restrict more useful investigations into the possible sources of homosexual bias. It is suggested that the concept of homophobia be abandoned in favor of another concept such as homosexual bias, except in rare cases where anxiety arousal leads to overt phobic avoidance. It is hoped that this clarification will open up new areas of investigation and lead to a deeper understanding of negative reactions to homosexuals on social and personal levels.

Attitude↗
PubMed1991

Condemnation of homosexuality in the black community: a gender-specific phenomenon?

While it is commonly accepted that homosexuality finds less tolerance in the black community, little or no research has addressed this issue empirically. In the context of an epidemiological investigation of AIDS-related attitudes, 2006 state employees were surveyed to compare the condemnatory orientation of blacks and whites towards homosexuality. One item measured endorsement of a hostile proposition concerning the deleterious impact of AIDS on the homosexual population. Greater relative endorsement was found of the proposition by blacks confirming the hypothesis that less social tolerance of homosexuality exists in the black community. Analyses of gender, educational achievement, religious preference, and marital status revealed that the racial difference in condemnation of homosexuality was derived almost exclusively from a difference in attitude between black and white females. The primary source of this difference may stem from the black female perception that homosexuality exacerbates the developing problem of a decreasing pool of available black males already affected by integration, racially disproportionate incarceration rates, and relatively high rates of premature death among black males from heart disease, cancer, AIDS, substance abuse, and violence.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2008

Sex ratio of older siblings in heterosexual and homosexual, right-handed and non-right-handed men.

This study investigated why older brothers, which increase the odds of homosexuality in later-born males who are right-handed, have no effect or the opposite effect on later-born males who are non-right-handed. The specific question was whether the different results for the non-right-handed men have to do with the heterosexual non-right-handers or the homosexual non-right-handers. The human sex ratio at birth (106 males per 100 females) was used as a gold standard for determining which groups differ from the general population and in which direction. All usable data from previous studies were combined to obtain the largest possible sample (N = 8,201). The observed ratio of older brothers to older sisters was 105 for the heterosexual right-handers, 128 for the homosexual right-handers, 127 for the heterosexual non-right-handers, and 96 for the homosexual non-right-handers. The ratios for the homosexual right-handers and the heterosexual non-right-handers differed significantly from the expected value. These results suggest that both heterosexual and homosexual non-right-handers contribute to the older brothers x handedness x sexual orientation interaction.

Birth Order↗