Causal Influences of Same-Sex Attraction on Psychological Distress and Risky Sexual Behaviors: Evidence for Bidirectional Effects.

ABSTRACT: Although health disparities among same-sex attracted compared to heterosexual individuals are typically explained by minority stress, there is limited evidence for a causal effect. This study investigated whether same-sex attraction was causally associated with psychological distress and risky sexual behavior using sociosexual behavior as a proxy. The sample comprised monozygotic and dizygotic twins and their non-twin siblings (n = 2036, 3780 and 2356, respectively) genotyped and assessed for same-sex attraction, psychological distress (anxiety and depressive symptoms), and risky sexual behavior. Causal influences were investigated with same-sex attraction as the predictor and psychological distress and risky sexual behavior as the outcomes in two separate Mendelian Randomization-Direction

SUBMITTER: Oginni OA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10102149 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature