Childhood play activities of male and female homosexuals and heterosexuals

This study examined the differences in childhood play behavior reported by adult male homosexuals (N =198) and heterosexuals (N =198) and those reported by female homosexuals (N =198) and heterosexuals (N =198). Two checklists with a total of 58 sports, games, and play activities were assembled: one for ages 5–8 and the other for ages 9–13. These were administered to the four samples. Monotonicity analysis (a type of factor analysis) revealed four scales within each checklist that were statistically reliable in each of the four samples. Scale and item mean comparisons revealed large significant differences between heterosexual males and females, male homosexuals and heterosexuals, and female homosexuals and heterosexuals. A majority of homosexuals reported significant degrees of cross-sex behavior in childhood play. Favorite play activities, age trends, play-related attitudes, and parent-child interactions were also examined. This research was partially supported by USPHS Grant DA01070.     

Plasma testosterone levels in homosexual men

Plasma testosterone levels were measured in 28 homosexual men and correlated with psychological variables. The overall mean testosterone level for the homosexuals was somewhat lower than for a group of heterosexual controls, but the range of values for the two groups showed considerable overlap. Among the homosexuals, the 13 with some heterosexual experience had higher testosterone levels than the 15 with none. Testosterone level was not related to relative masculinity or femininity or to any other psychological variable measured.     

A family study of sexual orientation

Unmarried men aged 25–35 were recruited through newspaper and radio advertisements for a family studyof sexual orientation.Fifty predominantly homosexual and 50 predominantly heterosexual men comprised the index subjects. The test, questionnaire, and interview battery is described. Subjects were asked about the sexual orientations of their relatives. The homosexual index men report a significant excess of homosexual brothers and more distant male relatives but not of homosexual sisters or female relatives. Moreover, the percentage of homosexual brothers increases with the Kinsey rating of the index subjects. Overall, about 25% of brothers of homosexual men are reported also to be homosexual. Supported by NIMH Grant MH 32170.     

Effects of prenatal hormone exposure versus pregnancy complications on sex-dimorphic behavior

The existing literature on human subjects indicates demasculinization as an effect of prenatal exposure to various exogenous sex hormones, except for 19-nor progestogens. For the samples described in Ehrhardt et al.(1984), the current study examines whether the demasculinization can be explained by pregnancy complications. Corresponding covariates were constructed. In order to permit parametric analysis, the primary rating scales used previously were factor-analyzed and aggregated to form cluster scales where feasible. The factor analysis also demonstrated the existence of a general factor of sex-dimorphic behavior. Subsequent case-control comparisons by t test and by analysis of covariance for the general-factor and cluster scales showed that pregnancy complications do not explain the modest demasculinization effects of prenatal hormone exposure observed in females. A few paradoxical results emerged in males, likely to be due to chance. This work was supported in part by grants from the Spencer Foundation, the Willian T. Grant Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, and by the following grants of the United States Public Health Service: NIMH Clinical Research Center Grant MH-30906, NIMH research grant MH-34635, and NCI research grant Y01-CN-00711.     

Adjustment of male homosexuals and heterosexuals

A consideration of the marked disagreement in the literature concerning the adjustment of homosexuals compared to heterosexuals led to the present study. Male homosexuals (307) and male heterosexuals (137), obtained from nonclinical sources, responded to questionnaires measuring several adjustment variables. For the total samples, the homosexuals, compared to the heterosexuals, described themselves as less well adjusted on four scales, better adjusted on three scales, and not different on six scales. A select group of masculine homosexuals, in contrast to masculine heterosexuals, reported better adjustment on six factors, no differences on six dimensions, and atypical adjustment on one factor. The importance of considering nonclinical masculine vs. feminine homosexuals and heterosexuals, the multifactorial nature of adjustment, and the problem of subject selection are discussed. This research was supported by Research Grant MH 16692 from the National Institute of Mental Health and a grant from The City College Research Foundation.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article: James T Patterson: The Dread Disease: Cancer and Modern American Culture. Spyros Doxiadis: Ethical Dilemmas in Health Promotion Neville A. Andersen et al. (eds): General Practice in Australia and William J. Doherty et al. (eds): Family Medicine: the maturing of a discipline Diana Chapman Walsh: Corporate Physicians: Between Medicine and Management M. Seigler et al (eds): Medical Innovation and Bad Outcomes; Legal, Social, and Ethical Responses. Cherry Russell and Toni Schofield: Where it Hurts. An Introduction to Sociology for Health Workers Stephen Polgar and Shane A Thomas: Introduction to Research in the Health Sciences Lois Curry (ed.): Women's Health Research in New Zealand 1976–1986. A bibliography. T. Abelin et al. (eds.): Measurement in Health Promotion and Protection Abramson JH: Making sense of data. A self-instruction manual on the interpretation of epidemiological data. William A Reinke: Health Planning for Effective Management L. Breslow et al. (eds): Annual Review of Public Health, Vol 9, 1988. Committee of Inquiry into Medical Education and Medical Workforce. Australian Medical Education and Workforce into the 21st Century. Community Development in Health: A Resources Collection.     

Effect of waterborne and dietary cadmium on plasma ions of the teleostOreochromis mossambicus in relation to water calcium levels

The effects of cadmium administered via ambient water or food on plasma ions of the African freshwater cichlidOreochromis mossambicus were studied for 2, 4, 14, and 35 days, in low calcium (0.2 mM) and high calcium (0.8 mM) water. In low calcium water, an environmentally relevant concentration of 10 g/L water-borne cadmium induced a significant and dramatic hypocalcemia on days 2 and 4. Recovery of plasma calcium was observed on days 14 and 35. Hypermagnesemia was observed on day 2, but normal levels were already found on day 4. In high calcium water adapted fish, the extent of hypocalcemia and hypermagnesemia was less pronounced than in fish from low calcium water. Water-borne cadmium caused no significant changes in plasma phosphate, sodium, potassium, or osmolality. On days 2 and 4, dietary cadmium (averaging 10 g Cd/fish/day) caused hypermagnesemia and hypocalcemia in low calcium wateradapted fish. Recovery was observed on days 4 and 14, respectively. In fish from high calcium water, dietary cadmium caused a significant reduction in plasma calcium on day 4 only; plasma magnesium was unaffected. Hyperphosphatemia was apparent on day 14, irrespective of the water calcium concentration. No changes in plasma sodium, potassium, or osmolality were found.The results show that sublethal concentrations of cadmium, administered via the water as well as via the food, affect calcium and magnesium metabolism in tilapia. High water calcium ameliorates the effects of both water and dietary cadmium on plasma calcium and magnesium levels.Among the various heavy metal pollutants, cadmium is frequently present in natural water bodies as a result of discharges from industrial processes or other anthropogenic contamination. The harmful effects of cadmium on mammals and other terrestrial animals have been widely studied and reviewed (Flicket al. 1971; Vallee and Ulmer 1972; Webb 1979; Korte 1983; Foulkes 1986). Aquatic vertebrates such as fish, live in very intimate contact with the environment through their gills. This makes them very susceptible to aquatic pollutants.Since it is well established that freshwater fish take up most of the ions necessary for homeostasis from the water via the gills (Eddy 1982), cadmiuminduced plasma ionic disturbances are apparently caused by impaired uptake and diffusional losses of ions via these organs (Larssonet al. 1981; Giles 1984). Ionic disturbances have also been reported after exposure of fish to sublethal concentrations of heavy metals. For example, changes in the plasma ionic composition have been observed in fish exposed to copper and zinc (Lewis and Lewis 1971; Spry and Wood 1985), mercury (Locket al. 1981), and chromium (Van der Putteet al. 1983). With respect to cadmium, exposure of rainbow trout to sublethal levels induced hypocalcemia, with reduced plasma sodium, potassium, chloride and increased plasma magnesium (Giles 1984). In European flounder, cadmium-induced hypocalcemia and elevated levels of plasma phosphate, magnesium and potassium were observed (Larssonet al. 1981).In addition to water, food could also be a source of cadmium for fish, since it accumulates in aquatic organisms through trophic transfers (Anonymous 1971; Williams and Giesy 1978; Coombs 1979). Indeed, Bryan (1976) concluded that food as a source of Zn, Mn, Co, and Fe for molluscs, crustaceans and fish was more important than water. From various studies on both water-borne and food-containing metals, reviewed by Dallingeret al. (1987), there is evidence that uptake of heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Co, Pb, Hg, and Zn from food is also the predominant pathway in freshwater fish. Koyama and Itazawa (1977) reported significant hypocalcemia and elevated plasma phosphate levels in cadmium-fed carps. Similarly, plaice and thornback ray both accumulated more cadmium from food than from seawater (Pentreath 1977). In general, cadmium concentrations in natural waters are extremely low and a more important route of cadmium uptake by fish may be represented via the gut. Experiments with dietary cadmium may therefore yield more representative information for field situations.In this investigation, we have compared the effects of a sublethal concentration of cadmium administered via the water or via the food in the African cichlid fishOreochromis mossambicus (tilapia). Plasma ions and osmolality were determined. Cadmium was administered at sublethal concentrations, in the order of magnitude that may occur in natural waters (10 g Cd/L). In many studies aimed at evaluating the effects of cadmium on fishes, high concentrations (>1 mg Cd/L) of cadmium have been used. Hence severe physiological, behavioral and detrimental effects have been reported. Such high concentrations are rarely found in nature, except in cases of spillage or heavily polluted waters. The Working Group on Cadmium Toxicity (EIFAC 1977) has suggested that chronic exposure to low cadmium concentrations is more relevant to understanding the mechanisms involved in the intoxication process in teleost fish.We further studied the influence of relatively low and high calcium concentration of the water on the toxic effects of cadmium. The effects of water hardness (mainly Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions) on heavy metal toxicity have been demonstrated in various species of teleosts (Pärtet al. 1985). Increased toxicity of cadmium to fish in soft water as compared to hard water has been demonstrated in catfish and guppies (Kinkade and Erdman 1975), goldfish (McCartyet al. 1978), striped bass (Palawskiet al. 1985), brook trout (Carrollet al. 1979) and rainbow trout (Calamariet al. 1980; Pascoet al. 1986). Similar observations on teleosts exposed to zinc, copper and lead (Sinleyet al. 1974; Zitko and Carson 1976; Judy and Davies 1979; Laurén and McDonald 1986) indicate a protective role of calcium against the toxic effects of heavy metals. It was also investigated whether the protective effect of the water-calcium concentration is limited to water-borne cadmium only, or also applies to dietary cadmium.     

The role of perceived relative parent personality in the development of heterosexuals,homosexuals, and transvestites

This study examines the hypothesis that non-normative parent sex-role qualities contribute to homosexual and transvestite development. Using the Parent Characteristics Questionnaire (PCQ), this hypothesis was tested among samples of male and female heterosexuals, male and female homosexuals, and male transvestites. The PCQ assesses the relative distribution of five personality traits between mother and father: R-F (relative father) intellectuality, R-F dependence, R-F affiliation, R-F endurance, and R-F aggressivedominance. No significant differences were noted for the male homosexuals, while the hypothesized effects were evident for lesbian women and male transvestites, even when statistically controlling for age and education differences. Theoretical interpretations of the results are offered in the context of a nonpathological explanation of sexual orientation and preference.This project was partially supported by grant number DA01070 from the U.S. Public Health Service.     

Luteinizing hormone and testosterone during nocturnal sleep: Relation to penile tumescent cycles

Variations of plasma LH and testosterone in relation to sleep-related penile tumescence were assessed. Plasma LH and testosterone were measured at 10–20 min intervals in five normal adult men during 2 nights of sleep. Blood samples were obtained by means of an indwelling venous catheter while sleep was monitored polygraphically and penile tumescence recorded with a penile mercury strain gauge. Tumescent episodes were recorded in all subjects during 9 of the 10 nights of the study, and the percentage of time during sleep, which was associated with tumescence, ranged from 13% to 34%. Simultaneous REM and tumescence comprised 57.7% of total tumescent time. Abrupt elevations of plasma LH and testosterone were observed during the night without a significant relationship to stages of sleep. The mean of all hormonal determinations for the five subjects did not show significant differences in plasma LH and testosterone between fully and partially tumescent episodes and nontumescent periods. Mean testosterone during REM sleep with tumescence, a state of autonomic activation involving sexual function, was consistently higher for the five subjects than during periods free from REM and tumescence.This investigation was supported by Public Health Service Research Grants MH 24564 and MH 03267 and by a grant from the Ford Foundation.     

Plasma testosterone levels of sexually functional and dysfunctional men

Plasma testosterone levels in a group of 341 men with sexual dysfunction were compared to those in 199 men with normal sexual function. All subjects were participants in a 2-week intensive conjoint sex therapy program at the Masters & Johnson Institute. Testosterone determinations were made using radioimmunoassay methods after column chromatography; all blood samples were obtained on the second day of therapy between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. after an overnight fast. Circulating levels of testosterone in men with normal sexual function (mean 635 ng/dl) were not significantly different from testosterone values in sexually dysfunctional men (mean 629 ng/dl). However, men with primary impotence (N = 13) had significantly higher testosterone levels than men with secondary impotence (N = 180), with mean levels of 710 and 574 ng/dl, respectively (p<0.001). The mean testosterone level for men with ejaculatory imcompetence was 660 ng/dl (N = 15), while for men with premature ejaculation the mean was 622 ng/dl (N = 91). Plasma testosterone concentrations were not related to therapy outcome but were correlated negatively with age of patients. This article was presented at the Eastern Association for Sex Therapy, Fifth Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 23–25, 1979.     

Relationships Between Levels of Estradiol and Testosterone in Seminal Plasma and GSTM1 Polymorphism in Infertile Men

Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) enzyme serves as a steroid-binding protein by its ability to bind to testosterone and estradiol. The levels of total estradiol and testosterone were measured by using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay in serum and seminal plasma from 103 subjects including 62 subfertile patients. GSTM1 polymorphism was examined using polymerase chain reaction. The estradiol and testosterone levels in seminal plasma were not different in control and subfertile subjects. No role for GSTM1 enzyme as a steroid-binding protein seemed likely as there was also no significant difference in seminal plasma estradiol and testosterone levels according to GSTM1 genoytpe.

Significant positive correlations were found between seminal estradiol and serum estradiol in infertile males, and between seminal testosterone and serum testosterone in fertile males, independent of GSTM1 genotype. GSTM1 polymorphism is not a genetic risk factor of seminal estradiol and testosterone levels in infertile males although further studies are warranted.     

Homosexuality,type 1: An Xq28 phenomenon

Despite the absence of phenotypic manifestations in alternating generations characteristic of X-linked disorders, a thesis is presented that a major type of Kinsey grades 5 and 6 male homosexuality is determined by a gene in the Xq28 region. A total of 133 families in 78 kinships of male and female homosexual probands, in addition to 116 families (including those of 40 famous homosexuals) from the literature, revealed an unbalanced secondary sex ratio in the maternal generation of male, but not of female, homosexuals. On the maternal side, in this study, the ratio of all uncles to all aunts of 90 males homosexuals was 132/209, ² = 8.52, p = 0.004. On the maternal side for the total of all sources, the ratio of uncles to aunts of male homosexuals was 241/367, ² = 13.20; p < 0.0001. The male/female ratio of the total number of maternal sibships bearing homosexuals (310/628: 0.491) was a measure of fetal wastage of the mothers' male sibs: 49%. This ratio was very close to that of the total number of children born to fathers affected with any one of nine Xq28-linked male semilethal conditions (255/508: ratio 0.556); for the difference between the two populations ² = 0.859, p = 0.354. The male/female ratio of the total number of children born to female carriers of any one of these same conditions (1,232/1,062: ratio 1.16), ² = 13.8 p 0.0001, is close to that of the total number of children in homosexual sibships: 511/413, ² = 10.4, p = 0.005. Between the number of children born to Xq28 mothers and to those born of mothers of homosexuals ² = 0.581, p = 0.446. One may readily surmise that the maternal influence so often related to homosexuality may lie in the mother being a genetic carrier, with traits thereto associated. In this study, 65% of the mothers of homosexuals had no or only one live-born brother. Additional support for a genetic hypothesis is found in the occurrence of multiple instances—almost exclusively among maternal relatives—of infertility, spontaneous abortions, miscarriages, stillbirths, remaining single past age 30, and suicide. Of 109 male and 43 female homosexual index cases in the present series there were 6 instances of brother/sister homosexual sibships. Instances of homosexual parent-to-homosexual child transmission occurred as follows: one father-to-son; one father-to-daughter; one bisexual father-son; one father/mother-to-2 sons; one of mother-to-son, and one of father-to-son and father-to-bisexual daughter. There were 16 instances of presumptive transmissions from heterosexual father-to-homosexual son and 5 of heterosexual father-to-homosexual daughter. A hypothesis is proposed: Homosexuality is due to a gene at Xq28 characterized by (i) elongated cytosine-containing trinucleotide repeats upstream to translation of a gene, (ii) elongated CpG islands upstream of the trinucleotides, and (iii) cytosine methylation of CpG islands and of the cytosine-containing trinucleotides.A limited number of long tables of data, and pedigree charts, which provide the details from which this paper was developed, may be obtained on paper or on disc from the author or, for a modest fee, from the Librarian, Health Sciences Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794.     

Plasma testosterone in male patients with sexual dysfunction

Plasma testosterone values were established by the protein-binding method in 45 married patients who at the age of 36–55 were examined for sexual disinterest and/or disturbances of penile erection. The control group consisted of 108 men whose ejaculate was normospermic and who reported adequate coital activity. The average values of male sex hormone in all age subgroups of patients with functional sexual disorders were lower than those of the control group. However, in patients with a pathological somatosexual finding (chromatin-positive men, patients with a varicocele), where the plasma testosterone level was approximately the same as in patients with functional sexual disorders, similar coital activity was found as in the control group of normospermic men.     

Pubertal Onset and Sexual Orientation in an Adolescent National Probability Sample

Using 6-year longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and multiple measures of puberty as it occurs and of sexual orientation (romantic attraction, sexual identity), the present study attempted to replicate previous research which reported that homosexuals and heterosexuals differed in their age of pubertal onset. The study hypotheses were not confirmed for either males or females: on most pubertal measures, same-sex oriented groupings did not differ from heterosexuals. The only significant findings regarding homosexual males indicated that they were more likely to report having a later rather than an earlier onset of puberty, and the significant findings regarding homosexual females were contradictory—they tended to have an earlier onset of puberty. These findings are attributed to methodological improvements in the present study that reduced retrospective bias, used multiple indicators of sexual orientation and puberty timing, and assessed less eroticized measures of puberty.     

Yellow mustard bran attenuates glycaemic response of a semi-solid food in young healthy men

In a randomized, repeated-measures design, the glycaemic response and satiety ratings of a potato and leek soup were compared with and without the addition of 5 g of yellow mustard bran. Ten healthy, non-smoking, moderately active male subjects (mean age of 21.1 years and mean body mass index 23.2 kg/m²) were recruited to the study. Capillary blood glucose and satiety were measured at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min, postprandial of each food. The incremental area under the blood glucose curve, blood glucose at each time point and satiety rating were calculated and compared via paired t-test. Mean blood glucose values at 15, 30 and 90 min (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0059, respectively) were all significantly lower with the addition of 5 g of yellow mustard bran. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the attenuation of postprandial glycaemic response following the addition of 5 g of yellow mustard bran to a soup.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Office of Technology and Assessment: Cancer Risk: Assessing and Reducing the Dangers in Our Society Lorinne Boyce and Jennifer Graff: Social Work in the Health Field in Australia: A Reference Guide. Carrie L. Fortner-Frazier: Social Work and Dialysis Department of Health, N.S.W.: The Pregnant Pause Campaign. D.J.P. Barker and G. Rose: Epidemiology in Medical Practice. R.J. Shephard: The Risks of Passive Smoking. Heather Ashton and Rob Stepney: Smoking: Psychology and Pharmacology Alan Harwood (ed.): Ethnicity and Medical Care Edward Shorter: A History of Women's Bodies Warren White et al: Future Directions for Psychiatric Research and Jerzy Krupinski et al: Patterns for Psychiatric Care in Victoria 1961–1978 Alvin W. Drake et al: The American Blood Supply J. Raviv (ed.): Uses of Computers in Aiding the Disabled June Clark and Jill Henderson: Community Health Health Resources Administration: The Need for Preventive and Community Medicine Faculty in Schools of Medicine J.K. Oates: Herpes. The Facts C.G. Weeramantry: The Slumbering Sentinels     

Dermal and inhalation exposure to dimethoate

Dermal and respiratory exposure and plasma acetylcholinesterase (ChE) activity were monitored on six workers spraying tomato crops under plastic houses with dimethoate [O,O-dimethyl S-(N-methylcarbamoylmethyl) phosphorodithoate]. The mean dermal exposure was 914 mg/day and the mean respiratory exposure was 17 mg/day. The maximum dose received by the spraymen was 18.2 mg/day. It was estimated that 84% of the dermal exposure was to the forearms and hands. Of the body areas monitored, the back of the neck received the least rate of exposure. The results also show a reduction in plasma ChE among spraymen. The mean difference was 37.1% less than the preexposure values, which exceeds the limits set by the World Health Organization.     

Health values of patients with bipolar disorder

Background: Despite a growing number of studies of patients' health values (utilities), little is known about health values of patients with mental illness, particularly bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. Methods: We administered a computerized rating scale, time tradeoff, and standard gamble to 53 patients. Patients were asked to rate or value their current state of health overall and then their current mental health. In addition, we administered the SF-36; Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (IDS-C); Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS); Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS); and Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Results: The patients' median (25th, 75th percentile) age was 43 (37, 50); 62% were female. Mean (±SD) health ratings for current overall health were 68.0 (±20.3) vs. 61.0 (±25.7) for current mental health (p-value for difference = 0.02). On the time tradeoff, scores for current overall health averaged 0.71 (±0.37) vs. 0.61 (±0.39) for current mental health (p = 0.02); on the standard gamble, mean scores were 0.77 (±0.32) for current overall health vs. 0.70 (±0.35) for current mental health (p = 0.11). In univariate analyses, rating scale, time-tradeoff, and standard gamble scores for both current overall health and for current mental health were correlated with the SF-36 and all psychiatric scales (|r| = 0.22–0.76) except the YMRS (|r| ≤ 0.13). In multivariable analyses, health values for current overall health were related to factors different from those that were related to health values for current mental health (R ² = 0.38–0.65), and none of the health value measures was related to the YMRS. Conclusion: Health values of patients with bipolar disorder are higher for their current health overall than for their current state of mental health. Health values are related to certain health status attributes and to level of depression but perhaps not to level of mania. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Supplementary Analyses Regarding Langevin,Langevin, and Curnoe’s (2007) Findings on Fraternal Birth Order in Homosexual Men

A recent article by Langevin, Langevin, and Curnoe (2007) reported mixed results regarding the fraternal birth order effect, that is, the repeatedly observed finding that older brothers correlate with homosexuality in later-born males. Using a fraternal birth order index computed as older brothers minus younger brothers, Langevin et al. found that the “homoerotic” probands were born later among their brothers than were the “heteroerotic” probands in their full sample (N = 1194) and in their subsample over age 19 (N = 1122), but not in their subsample over age 31 (N = 698) or in their subsample with mothers over age 46 at the proband’s birth (N = 727). The present writer concluded that the results obtained with the larger samples are more reliable, based on analyses demonstrating that (1) the larger samples are unlikely to be seriously affected by incomplete sibships, and (2) the smaller samples have poor statistical power. A separate analysis, based on an approximate reconstruction of Langevin et al.’s raw data, indicated that their heteroerotic probands reported a ratio of 104 older brothers per 100 older sisters, which is close to the normative population value of 106, whereas their homoerotic probands reported a ratio of 137, indicating a statistically significant excess of older brothers. These results suggest that Langevin et al.’s data showed significant evidence of a fraternal birth order effect and that their data were consistent with previous studies of this phenomenon.