Lesbian erotic role identification: behavioral, morphological, and hormonal correlates

Waist-to-hip ratio is positively associated with bioavailable testosterone but negatively associated with sexual desire in healthy premenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

We examined whether high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in women is a biomarker for increased testosterone (T) and higher levels of sexual desire.

METHODS

Participants were 99 healthy nonobese premenopausal women. Trait levels of mean bioavailable T were estimated from three saliva samples collected at 8:00 am, 9:30 am, and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, controlling for phase of the menstrual cycle. Sexual desire was measured with the Sexual Desire Inventory.

RESULTS

WHR was positively, although moderately, correlated with bioavailable T. WHR, but not T, was negatively correlated with level of sexual desire.

CONCLUSIONS

These results confirm that the positive association between WHR and androgens seen in clinical populations also exists in the general population of healthy adult women. However, the relationship may not be strong enough in healthy women for WHR to serve as a useful biomarker of androgen levels in sexuality studies, especially given its association with other, perhaps negatively valued, morphologic attributes.

Sexual orientation, weight concerns, and eating-disordered behaviors in adolescent girls and boys

OBJECTIVE

To examine sexual orientation group differences in eating disorder symptoms in adolescent girls and boys.

METHOD

Cross-sectional associations were examined using multivariate regression techniques using data gathered in 1999 from 10,583 adolescents in the Growing Up Today Study, a cohort of children of women participating in the Nurses' Health Study II.

RESULTS

Ninety-two percent of the cohort described themselves as heterosexual, 5% as mostly heterosexual, 1% as lesbian/gay/bisexual, and 2% as unsure. Both mostly heterosexual girls and boys had greater concerns with weight and appearance and were less happy with their bodies compared with same-gender heterosexuals (all p < .05). Compared with heterosexual girls, the mostly heterosexual girls were more likely to vomit/use laxatives to control weight (odds ratio 1.7; 95% confidence interval = 1.2-2.6) and to binge eat (odds ratio 2.3; 95% confidence interval = 1.4-3.8) in the past year. Compared with heterosexual boys, gay/bisexual boys were more concerned with trying to look like men in the media (p < .05) and more likely to binge (odds ratio 15.2; 95% confidence interval = 3.3-69). Compared with heterosexual girls, lesbian/bisexual girls were happier with their bodies (p < .05) and less concerned with trying to look like women in the media (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Mostly heterosexual girls and boys are a newly identified group at increased risk of eating disorder symptoms. Gay/bisexual boys were also at increased risk.

Biosocial factors, sexual orientation and neurocognitive functioning

It has been proposed that sexual orientation related differences in cognitive performance are either due to the actions of prenatal factors early in development or the influence of gender role learning. This study examined the performance of 240 healthy, right-handed heterosexual and homosexual males and females (N = 60 per group) on a battery of cognitive tasks comprising mental rotation, judgement of line orientation (JLO), verbal fluency, perceptual speed and object location memory. Measures were also taken of the psychological gender, birth order, sibling sex composition and the 2nd to 4th finger length ratios of the right and left hands. A series of stepwise regression analyses revealed that sex and sexual orientation were the strongest predictors of cognitive performance, with IQ also contributing considerable variance. Psychological gender (M/F scores) added a small, but significant, amount of variance to mental rotation and perceptual speed scores in addition to these main factors, but prenatal hormone related indices, such as 2nd to 4th finger ratios, birth order and sibling sex composition added no independent predictive power. These findings are discussed in relation to biosocial influences on cognitive differences between heterosexuals and homosexuals.

Are 2D:4D finger-length ratios related to sexual orientation? Yes for men, no for women

The ratio of index and ring finger lengths (2D:4D) is thought to be a marker of prenatal androgen exposure. In a sample of over 2,000 participants, men had significantly lower 2D:4D ratios than women (d = .36 and .23 for right and left hands, respectively), and these results were consistent across ethnic groups. Heterosexual men had significantly lower (more male typical) 2D:4D ratios than gay men (d = .32 and .31 for right and left hands, respectively), and these results tended to be consistent across ethnic groups. Heterosexual and lesbian women showed no significant differences in 2D:4D ratios, after ethnicity was taken into account. The current findings add to evidence that prenatal hormonal factors may be linked to men's sexual orientation.

Sexual orientation and the 2nd to 4th finger length ratio: evidence for organising effects of sex hormones or developmental instability?

It has been proposed that human sexual orientation is influenced by prenatal sex hormones. Some evidence examining putative somatic markers of prenatal sex hormones supports this assumption. An alternative suggestion has been that homosexuality may be due to general developmental disruptions independent of hormonal effects. This study investigated the ratio of the 2nd to 4th finger digits (the 2D:4D ratio), a measure often ascribed to the organisational actions of prenatal androgens, and the fluctuating asymmetry (FA-a measure of general developmental disruption) of these features, in a sample of 240 healthy, right handed and exclusively heterosexual and homosexual males and females (N=60 per group). Homosexual males and females showed significantly lower 2D:4D ratios in comparison to heterosexuals, but sexual orientation did not relate to any measures of FA. The evidence may suggest that homosexual males and females have been exposed to non-disruptive, but elevated levels of androgens in utero. However, these data also draw attention to difficulties in the interpretation of results when somatic features are employed as biological markers of prenatal hormonal influences.

Number of older brothers and sexual orientation: new tests and the attraction/behavior distinction in two national probability samples

The extent to which number of older brothers or "fraternal birth order" predicted the 2 main components that researchers have traditionally used to conceptualize sexual orientation-that is, psychological attraction and sexual behavior-was examined in 2 recent national probability samples. In both studies, fraternal birth order predicted same-sex attraction in men, with each additional older brother increasing the odds of homosexual attraction by an average of 38%. Results also indicated that the fraternal birth order/same-sex attraction relationship in men was independent of sexual behavior, including early same-sex behavior. No sibling characteristics predicted sexual orientation in women. Results suggest experience-based theories (e.g., early same-sex play) of the fraternal birth order effect in men are unlikely to be correct.

Explorations of lesbian-queer genders

SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of gender expression on queer women's experiences of identity, social interaction and discrimination. This article presents the results of a questionnaire, completed by 149 queer women involved in a southeastern U.S. women's community in which interactions and norms are strongly influenced by butch-femme gendering. Questionnaires ascertained participants' age of first awareness of their queer orientation and their gender expression. In relation to their gender expressions, their experience of discrimination, from both the general population and the lesbian community, was assessed. Participants were asked to specify the degree to which their gender expression was important in their social interactions and to assess the impact of butch and femme identities upon the identifying women and the lesbian community. Results indicated that gender expression may relate to butch and femme women's age of first awareness of sexual orientation and gender expression; experience of discrimination and social interaction; and valuing of butch-femme identification within the queer community.

Testosterone, alcohol, and civil and rough conflict resolution strategies in lesbian couples

The present study investigated the relations among testosterone level, acute alcohol consumption, and the use of violent (Rough) or non-violent (Civil) conflict resolution strategies in lesbian couples. The participants were 54 lesbian campers at a women's campground or spectators at a gay pride celebration who each provided a saliva sample for testosterone assay and completed a questionnaire. On the questionnaire, participants indicated whether they used Civil or Rough tactics to deal with domestic discord, and whether or not their use of these tactics varied with their use of alcohol. High testosterone women used Rough tactics equally when drinking as when not drinking, while low testosterone women used Rough tactics far more often when drinking than when not drinking. Alcohol appears to release violent tenden- cies in low testosterone women, who are characteristically restrained under sober conditions, but has little effect on high testosterone women.