The Order Your Siblings Were Born In May Play A Role In Identity And Sexuality
Apr 10, 2024
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Guest host Selena Simmons-Duffin delves into the 'fraternal birth order effect' on sexuality, where the likelihood of being gay increases with each older brother. She discusses the global studies, debunked research, and societal impacts of this phenomenon.
The fraternal birth order effect indicates a higher likelihood of male same-sex attraction with more older brothers.
Women in same-sex marriages also show the pattern of having more older brothers, challenging previous male-focused hypotheses.
Deep dives
The Fraternal Birth Order Effect in Sexuality Research
Studies have shown a consistent increase in the probability of male same-sex attraction for individuals with more older brothers. This fraternal birth order effect, documented all over the world, indicates that men with same-sex attraction tend to have a higher number of older brothers. The maternal immune hypothesis proposes that antibodies produced by mothers in response to male-specific proteins may influence the development of subsequent male fetuses, potentially explaining this phenomenon.
Challenges and Variations in the Fraternal Birth Order Effect
Recent research with a large sample size revealed that the same association of having more older brothers also manifested in women in same-sex marriages. This discovery challenged the previous focus on male siblings and raised questions about the maternal immune hypothesis exclusively targeting male fetuses. While the biological mechanism behind this effect remains unclear, the strong and consistent findings suggest a potential link to sibling influences.
Personal Reflections on Scientific Studies and Identity
A queer individual reflects on the implications of the fraternal birth order effect studies, sharing personal experiences of societal attitudes towards sexuality. Despite finding some aspects of the research intriguing and amusing, including the correlation between birth order and sexual orientation, there is a concern about the underlying dangers of pathologizing complex human experiences like sexuality. The individual highlights the multifaceted nature of sexuality that transcends statistical explanations.
It's National Siblings Day! To mark the occasion, guest host Selena Simmons-Duffin is exploring a detail very personal to her: How the number of older brothers a person has can influence their sexuality. Scientific research on sexuality has a dark history, with long-lasting harmful effects on queer communities. Much of the early research has also been debunked over time. But not this "fraternal birth order effect." The fact that a person's likelihood of being gay increases with each older brother has been found all over the world – from Turkey to North America, Brazil, the Netherlands and beyond. Today, Selena gets into all the details: What this effect is, how it's been studied and what it can (and can't) explain about sexuality.
Interested in reading more about the science surrounding some of our closest relatives? Check out more stories in NPR's series on The Science of Siblings.