Study Examines Links Between Parents’ Income and Sexual Orientation of Their Children

Summary: A new study links same-sex attraction to parents’ socioeconomic status during pregnancy. Researchers report the highest frequency of same-sex attraction was found in children in the lowest income group and elevated levels of same-sex attraction in children who came from the most affluent backgrounds. They speculate higher levels of fetal estrogen are a factor in both male and female same-sex attraction in the lowest-income group, while elevated levels of fetal testosterone are a factor in the higher-income group. Higher fetal estrogen was related to more submissive roles in same-sex relationships, while higher fetal testosterone was associated with more assertive characteristics.

Source: Swansea University

Attraction to same-sex partners is common in humans but the biological influences on homosexuality and bisexuality are not fully understood.

Now new research involving Swansea University is examining the suggestion that sex hormones in the fetus influence the sexual attraction people experience later in life. Extending earlier work that linked parental income to fetal sex hormones Professor John Manning, of the Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) research team, and colleagues have, for the first time, considered links between parental income and sexual behavior of their adult children.

According to the researchers, the highest frequencies of same-sex attraction were found in the children of the lowest (25 percent) income group, the lowest frequencies in the income group slightly higher than others, and elevated frequencies of same-sex attraction in the children of the top 25 percent of the population.

The study, which has just been published in online journal Evolutionary Psychology, is a collaboration between Professor Manning, Bernhard Fink of the University of Vienna and the American evolutionary biologist and sociobiologist Robert Trivers.

Professor Manning said: “These novel findings suggest that high fetal estrogen is a factor in both male and female same-sex attraction in children of low-income parents. Conversely, in male and female children of high-income parents, high fetal testosterone may be linked to same-sex attraction. “

This shows a child's hands painted rainbow colors
According to the researchers the highest frequencies of same-sex attraction were found in the children of the lowest (25 percent) income group, the lowest frequencies in the income group slightly higher than others, and elevated frequencies of same-sex attraction in the children of the top 25 percent of the population. Image is in the public domain

The authors have further speculated that high fetal estrogen is related to “femme” and “submissive” roles in female and male homosexuals respectively. Moreover, high prenatal testosterone may be linked to ‘butch’ and ‘assertive’ roles in female and male homosexuals respectively.”

The research follows on from a previous study involving Professor Manning published last year which found low-income mothers feminize their children in the womb by adjusting their hormones, whereas high-income mothers masculinize their children.

That study was based on the relationship between the length of a person’s index and ring fingers, known as the 2D:4D ratio. A long ring finger is a marker of higher levels of prenatal testosterone, and a long index finger is a marker of higher levels of prenatal estrogen. Generally, in comparison to women, men have longer ring fingers, whereas in comparison to men, women have longer index fingers.

About this neurodevelopment and sexual orientation research news

Author: Kathy Thomas
Source: Swansea University
Contact: Kathy Thomas – Swansea University
Image: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Open access.
Parental Income and the Sexual Behavior of Their Adult Children: A Trivers–Willard Perspective” by John Manning et al. Evolutionary Psychology


Abstract

Parental Income and the Sexual Behavior of Their Adult Children: A Trivers–Willard Perspective

Parental income is negatively and linearly related to the digit ratio (2D:4D; a proxy for prenatal sex steroids) of their children.

Children of parents with high income are thought to be exposed to higher prenatal testosterone and develop lower 2D:4D. It is further hypothesized that 2D:4D relates to sexual orientation, although it is unclear whether the association is linear or curvilinear.

Here, we consider patterns of parental income and its association with the sexual behavior of their adult children in a large online study (the BBC internet study). There were curvilinear relationships with parental income in male and female children.

The highest frequencies of homosexuality and bisexuality were found in the lowest income group (bottom 25% of the population), the lowest frequencies in the income group representing the upper 50% of the population, and intermediate values in the other groups (low 50% and top 25% of the population).

Parental income showed a U-shaped association with scores for same-sex attraction and an inverted U-shaped association with opposite-sex attraction. Thus, for the first time, we show that same-sex attraction is related to parental income.

The curvilinear relationship between parental income and sexual behavior in their adult children may result from an association between very high fetal estrogen or testosterone and attraction to partners of the same sex.

Among non-heterosexuals, and in both sexes, very high fetal estrogen may be associated with femme or submissive sexual roles, and very high fetal testosterone with butch and assertive sexual roles.

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  1. As a retired Physiologist, I am appalled at the low intellectual level of this article. Basically, it is BS

  2. So we do a study socioeconomic background but not what 99% of homosexuals have in common , which is sexual abuse, child abuse , overbearing abusive mother with a passive father or vise versa??? Anything to make it ok.

  3. In a recent study, those who have blonde hair and green eyes who stand at least 5 feet and 3 inches tall and who are named butch, will have food stuck between their teeth…

  4. This is so totally not newsworthy! Why waste time on ridiculous studies like this? Better get a life. Because you’re not doing shi

  5. “The study, which has just been published in online journal Evolutionary Psychology”

    Do any of you actually read and not take things completely as truth? I already assume the terminology used as theory about the womb hormone affect. Only truth is study end of as more likely 25-50-25 and 25s are more likely non-heterosexual and that’s it. Everything else is theory.

  6. This is the worst article I’ve ever read on this site. I thought “this has to be satire!” it’s THAT bad.

    1. Seriously! I got about halfway through reading this and was like “This has to be a joke.” so I double checked the url to make sure I didn’t somehow end up on a satire site. Nope. Sadly, this is real life.

    1. Funny, I was thinking it was right-wing trad religious conservative bs. Being a woman means submissive. Being a man means assertive. Yech. People are both and neither. Ew

  7. What? There are plenty of Gay and Bi people out there from poor families. I think it’s confusing some dubious correlation with what is probably happening. It’s more likely that those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, with better family education, are more likely to skew the report and be open about their sexuality without fear of losing opportunities, family, or income.

    This article is trash.

  8. I’d love if this article said more about how income level is affecting hormone levels! Is it diet, or something else?

    1. It’s BS. Now do a study of how much money people have to have to make a straight kid. Lolol so dumb.

  9. Amateurish article with no links or validation of sources. Also questionable language used per the other commenter. Was it meant to be inflammatory?

  10. In a previous article it stated that the emotions of a child came from the male sperm.Does this ty in to the above theory.Sexual attraction is an emotion.
    Has alcohol been looked at in this theory?

  11. This report is very vague and speculative about a subject that is highly volatile and already prone to misquotes and huge misinterpretations No hard numbers anywhere, just “large online study,” and a lot of unexplained assumptions and conclusions by the researchers. How are they defining “femme” and “butch” roles and “dominant” and “submissive” roles, which are quite subjective and out-of-date concepts to start with as if rigid categories?

    Then there are sentences like “. . . low-income mothers feminize their children in the womb by adjusting their hormones, whereas high-income mothers masculinize their children” that sound like the mothers were doing this on purpose, maybe taking hormone supplements, rather than something that occurred in their bodies not under the mothers’ conscious control. Truly appalling to put such a poorly worded sentence in a newsletter that tries to sound professional!

    Terribly written, irresponsible. I expect better of this newsletter than headline-grabbing articles giving credence to garbage– or at best, premature reports– like this. These concepts may turn out upon further research to have validity, but at least be honest about what’s truly scientifically established and what’s just someone’s musings.

    1. Thank you, Suzi W. I happened upon this randomly and found myself irritated by this “study”. Your response is perfect. 👌 #Slay

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