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Brain response to putative pheromones in lesbian women.

ABSTRACT: The progesterone derivative 4,16-androstadien-3-one (AND) and the estrogen-like steroid estra-1,3,5(10),16-tetraen-3-ol (EST) are candidate compounds for human pheromones. In previous positron emission tomography studies, we found that smelling AND and EST activated regions primarily incorporating the sexually dimorphic nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus, that this activation was differentiated with respect to sex and compound, and that homosexual men processed AND congruently with heterosexual women rather than heterosexual men. These observations indicate involvement of the anterior hypothalamus in physiological processes related to sexual orientation in humans. We expand the information on this issue in the present study by performing identical positron emission tomography experiments on 12 lesbian women. In contrast to heterosexual women, lesbian women processed AND stimuli by the olfactory networks and not the anterior hypothalamus. Furthermore, when smelling EST, they partly shared activation of the anterior hypothalamus with heterosexual men. These data support our previous results about differentiated processing of pheromone-like stimuli in humans and further strengthen the notion of a coupling between hypothalamic neuronal circuits and sexual preferences.

SUBMITTER: Berglund H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1570103 | biostudies-other | 2006 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Brain response to putative pheromones in lesbian women.

Berglund Hans H Lindström Per P Savic Ivanka I

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20060516 21

The progesterone derivative 4,16-androstadien-3-one (AND) and the estrogen-like steroid estra-1,3,5(10),16-tetraen-3-ol (EST) are candidate compounds for human pheromones. In previous positron emission tomography studies, we found that smelling AND and EST activated regions primarily incorporating the sexually dimorphic nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus, that this activation was differentiated with respect to sex and compound, and that homosexual men processed AND congruently with heterosexual ...[more]

PMID: 16705035

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Project description:BackgroundLesbophobia and biphobia are manifestations of homophobic violence directed at lesbian and bisexual women that results in daily violation of rights and social exclusion.AimTo describe experiences of the violence against lesbian and bisexual women in Brazil.MethodsSequential mixed methods study was carried out in 2 stages. In the first one, quantitative, an electronic questionnaire was applied to women from all regions, with questions about sociodemographic characteristics, self-identification and lesbophobic and biphobic events. In the second one, qualitative, lesbian, and bisexual women were interviewed face to face about the violence suffered.OutcomesThe chi-square test was applied to compare violence against lesbian and bisexual women (type of violence, place of aggression, gender and age range of the aggressor, bond with the aggressor, repetition of violence, and denunciation of violence) and the content analysis for qualitative data (main categories of analysis were events of violence, denunciation, and consequences of violence).ResultsThe report of violence was present in 65% of the answers. There was a predominance of psychological violence (39.8%), in the public environment (63%), practiced by men (73.2%), by strangers (66.2%) and repeatedly (82%). Lesbian women, compared to bisexuals, were more prone to violence in the public environment (59.5% vs 39.5%) and with repetition (84.3% vs 60.6%). The narratives explained intimidating experiences in the family environment (insults, threat of suicide or homicide and false imprisonment) and public (harassment, beatings, and rape). Discriminatory attitudes, insults, and refusal of service in restaurants and bars were recurrent.Clinical implicationsThe data provide information that can serve to improve policy initiatives to reduce these episodes.Strengths and limitationsThis is the first study of mixed methods, with national coverage, on lesbophobia and biphobia events in Brazil. Future studies should include women underrepresented in this research as trans women, non-white, less educated, and from the most distant regions of the country.ConclusionLesbophobic or biphobic event has harmful repercussions for multiple aspects of these women's lives, including mental health. Rufino AC, Filho CEWBdeC, Madeiro A. Experiences of Violence Against Lesbian and Bisexual Women in Brazil. Sex Med 2022;10:100479.

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Brain response to putative pheromones in lesbian women.

Publications

Brain response to putative pheromones in lesbian women.

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