2019/08/29 by Andrea Ganna, Karin J. H. Verweij, Michel G. Nivard +17 · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Genetic Associations and Epidemiology #Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities #Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
paper · doi:10.1126/science.aat7693
openalex publication_date 2019/08/29 · openalex created_date 2019/09/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Twin and family studies have shown that same-sex sexual behavior is partly genetically influenced, but previous searches for specific genes involved have been underpowered. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 477,522 individuals, revealing five loci significantly associated with same-sex sexual behavior. In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual's sexual behavior. Comparing these GWAS results with those for the proportion of same-sex to total number of sexual partners among nonheterosexuals suggests that there is no single continuum from opposite-sex to same-sex sexual behavior. Overall, our findings provide insights into the genetics underlying same-sex sexual behavior and underscore the complexity of sexuality.