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Homosexuality in Monozygotic Twins Reared Apart

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Elke D. Eckert ,
Thomas J. Bouchard ,
Joseph Bohlen  and
Leonard L. Heston
Elke D. Eckert
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Thomas J. Bouchard
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Joseph Bohlen
Affiliation:
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Leonard L. Heston*
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota, Box 393, Mayo Building, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, USA
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

We describe six pairs of monozygotic twins, in which at least one member of five pairs were homosexual, and one of the remaining pair was bisexual, from a series of 55 pairs, reared apart from infancy; all the female pairs were discordant for homosexual behaviour. This and other evidence suggest that female homosexuality may be an acquired trait. One male pair was concordant for homosexuality, while the other was not clearly concordant or discordant; this suggests that male homosexuality may be associated with a complex interaction, in which genes play some part.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 148 , Issue 4 , April 1986 , pp. 421 - 425
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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