LECTURER: DR S ATINDANBILA
Factors That Account For Sexual Orientation In Individuals Sexual orientation refers to one’s degree of emotional and erotic attraction to members of the same or opposite gender. Those who are erotically attracted to members of the opposite sex are heterosexuals while those who are erotically attracted to members of the same sex are homosexuals, and bisexual (having emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to both men and women). The main objective of this essay is to identify the factors that account for sexual orientation.
Dr Qazi Rahman, study co-author and a leading scientist on human sexual orientation, explains: "This study puts cold water on any concerns that we are looking for a single 'gay gene ' or a single environmental variable which could be used to 'select out ' homosexuality - the factors which influence sexual orientation are complex. And we are not simply talking about homosexuality here - heterosexual behavior is also influenced by a mixture of genetic and environmental factors.
According to Mamor 1985; it is a combination of many factors like genetic, biological, social and psychological factors that combine to produce one’s sexual orientation. Let us now discuss the possible reasons for that account for sexual orientation.
First, there may be genetic foundations for homosexuality. Psychologist, J. Michael Bailey and Richard C. Pillard, for example, discovered that 52% of the identical twins of male homosexuals were also homosexual, compared to only 22% of non-identical twins. Likewise, they found that if one identical twin is lesbian, in almost 50% of the cases studied, the other twin is lesbian as well, in comparison to 16% of the non-identical twins.
Second, reports of the analysis of data from over two million men and women
References: 1. American Psychological Association. (2008). Answers to your questions: For a better understanding of sexual orientation and homosexuality. Washington, DC: Author. [Retrieved from www.apa.org/topics/sorientation.pdf 2. -same-sex-attraction www.samesexattraction.org/What-causes.htm 3. www.lifesitenews.com 4. www.medicalnewstoday.com