Being gay is a neurological disorder
Higher numbers of neurodivergent people are LGBTQIA+ - this article explores why
John Anderson is The Brain Charity’s LGBTQ+ model. Here, he shares his thoughts on LGBTQ+ and neurodiversity.
Society is gradually accepting that all of our brains work in different ways—that there is no one ‘correct’ type of brain! A parallel to this is our gradual acceptance of the many identities that tumble under the LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex, asexual) umbrella.
Higher numbers of neurodivergent people are LGBTQIA+
Evidence suggests that neurodivergent individuals, particularly those diagnosed with autism, are significantly more likely to recognize as LGBTQIA+ than those who are neurotypical.
Latest data from the Office of National Statistics advise that around 3% of the UK population identifies as lesbian, gay or bisexual (though this is likely to be an under-representation), while between 15 -20% of the population is neurodivergent in some way.
However, a recent Cambridge University study establish autistic people might be three times more likely to identify as transgender, while another study set up neurodivergent individuals were 8 times as l
Across cultures, 2% to 10% of people report having same-sex relations. In the U.S., 1% to 2.2% of women and men, respectively, identify as male lover. Despite these numbers, many people still consider lesbian behavior to be an anomalous choice. However, biologists have documented homosexual deed in more than 450 species, arguing that lgbtq+ behavior is not an unnatural choice, and may in fact play a vital role within populations.
In a 2019 issue of Science magazine, geneticist Andrea Ganna at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and colleagues, described the largest survey to date for genes related with same-sex behavior. By analyzing the DNA of nearly half a million people from the U.S. and the U.K., they concluded that genes account for between 8% and 25% of same-sex deed.
Numerous studies have established that sex is not just male or female. Rather, it is a continuum that emerges from a person’s genetic makeup. Nonetheless, misconceptions persist that same-sex attraction is a choice that warrants condemnation or conversion, and leads to discrimination and persecution.
I am a molecular biologist and am interested in this new study as it further illuminates the
Differences related to sexual orientation found in the brain
Because sexual minorities are at greater risk of mental ill-health, the researchers also decided to investigate how common psychiatric disorders and victimisation life related to the MRI findings.
“We create no evidence for a neurobiological link between same-sex sexual behaviour and psychiatric disorders,” says guide author Christoph Abé, assistant professor at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. “This supports the minority emphasize theory which suggests that for some individuals, mental ill-health could be a result of minority-related social stressors such as stigma and discrimination.”
A neurobiological basis
The purpose of the study was to increase our neurobiological knowledge about human sexuality and to shed light on the origin of same-sex sexual behaviour-related mental health disparities. That way, the researchers hope to contribute to improved societal understanding and reduced stigmatisation and in turn improved psychological well-being among sexual minorities.
“There are many countries and social groups where non-heterosexuality is still stigmatised, because of the bel
Are Gender and Sexual Identity Linked to Head Health?
The American Academy of Neurology is the leading voice in head health. As the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals with more than 40,000 members, the AAN provides access to the latest news, science and research affecting neurology for patients, caregivers, physicians and professionals alike. The AAN’s mission is to enhance member career fulfillment and promote head health for all. A neurologist is a medic who specializes in the diagnosis, care and treatment of brain, spinal cord and nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, concussion, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, headache and migraine.
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For at least 20 years, neuroscientists acquire been trying to discover whether there are specific anatomical differences between heterosexual and homosexual men and women. An early post-mortem revise found that a small region of the anterior hypothalamus was smaller in homosexual men than in heterosexual men, and no alternative from heterosexual women. More recent thinker imaging studies reported sexual orientation‐related differences in cortical regions devoted to vision, some asymmetries between the two hemispheres and differences in the thickness of the cortex at the front of the brain.
Overall, these specific brain regions in homosexual males tended to be similar to heterosexual women (more female‐typical), while these equal brain regions lgbtq+ women tended to be similar to heterosexual men (more male‐typical). These initial discoveries led scientists to think that some behavioral and cognitive traits connected to sexual orientation may be reflected in, subtle but consistent, differences in brain anatomy.
Many of these early imaging studies were limited by small sample sizes and did not include female, both heterosexual and homosexual, comparison groups. A recent learn addressed