I witnessed a discussion today on hormones and homosexuality. A person was stating that one of their friends had to have hormone therapy for a physical condition. She took testerone. She found that during this time she became attracted to women. She decided to stay on the testerone and have a sex change operation.

My question is, can hormones influence who we are attracted to and fall in love with? Can taking opposite sex hormones change or sexual identity?

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My understanding is that hormone therapy can only somewhat affect what's already been established by one's genetic code. For probably most homosexuals, according to the research, it's really in the genes and we also see much the same with some monkeys and apes.

So if one had lower levels of testosterone, taking additional doses may indeed have somewhat of an effect. However, I don't think that one could take a women with normal to high levels of estrogen and give them testosterone and expect them to come out like Rambo.

However, I'm drawing on something I read many moons ago, so take the above with a large grain of salt.

Unless you have high blood pressure, of course.

Shalom,
Vern

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"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."-- Einstein

I agree with you Metis. I think sometimes it may be hormones, sometimes genetic and sometimes conditioning. Whatever it is it doesn't matter to me really..there is nothing wrong with me just the way I am and I wouldn't change it.

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RevKathyV

http://www.myspace.com/divinelightinterfaith



www.divinelightinterfaithministry.com

I have a question...isn't horomones genetics anyway? I mean we are all born with preprogrammed horomone levels, doesn't that just boil down to homosexuality being genetic (again)?

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"Philosophy is a walk on a slippery rock
Religion is a smile on a dog."

Your genes to a large extent control your hormone levels, but they are not the only factor. For example, we tend to find higher levels of testosterone in men who live in areas of the world where there is high exposure to direct sunlight (ever wonder why the Middle East is often the way it is? In Sweden, whereas people have relatively low levels of sunlight they absorb, it is the girls/women who tend to be more sexually aggressive than the boys/men).

The last scientific article that I read, which was a few years ago, based on research was the estimate that roughly 80% of all homosexuals are mainly genetically influenced.

Shalom,
Vern

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"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."-- Einstein

I read somewhere that all babies are born bisexual and then decide one way or the other depending on many outside influences.

I don't see how haromes could be the cause for being straight or gay. Attraction is often (if not always) a preference. Next they'll say that choosing blond over brunette has to do with harmones too.

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May your awareness be perfection

But there is evidence that that preference is horomonally controlled, and usually percieved through smell. The theory says that this goes back to when we were all living in trees. So, yeah, your preferences are genetically controlled.

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"Philosophy is a walk on a slippery rock
Religion is a smile on a dog."

Babies are born with the correct "fixtures", and it's the pituitary, I believe, that will trigger the production of the "correct" hormone when it's time. However, there are other differences between male and female besides just the sex equipment.

OK, I'm going to say this as discretely as I can. Vivamis, assuming your heterosexual, I want you to think right now about having a sexual coupling with someone of the same sex. Stop for a second and let it sink in.

How does it hit you?

We're talking about gut reactions. For a person who's genetically dis positioned to be gay, their gut reaction should be quite different than yours. It's not just a matter of preference-- it's a matter of how we're built. There's simply no man, no matter how "sexy" he may be, that appeals to me sexually.

I don't mean to offend anyone by the above words, so please forgive me if my wording isn't the best.

Shalom,
Vern

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"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."-- Einstein

Metis, you just haven't met the right man yet : )

I really don't know anything about harmones...anything, but I find it hard to believe that we are products of our Genes.

I guess I am dreamer to believe that love is stronger then gender, color, religious differences or looks.

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May your awareness be perfection

That's in your genes, too, and I'm not exaggerating.

Shalom,
Vern

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"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."-- Einstein