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General discussion

Male Homosexuality related to altered brain function

Nov 30, 2003 4:57AM PST

Discussion is locked

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Re: How much of your taxes is being spent on AIDS? P.S. Not-so-great post for World AIDS Day!
Dec 1, 2003 10:04PM PST

Hi, Ed.

Even Bush has promised more attention to (and funding for) AIDS in Africa -- though as usual outside of "security issues," he's long on promises, short on action. Odd the same folks that used to complain about what a liar Clinton was are so silent about Bush's lack of truthfulness in his speeches.
-- Dave K.
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Re:Re: How much of your taxes is being spent on AIDS? P.S. Not-so-great post for World AIDS Day!
Dec 1, 2003 10:19PM PST

Funny how Edward's theory comes down to the following:

Since AIDS is something that mainly affect homosexuals, there must be a bunch of gays in Africa.

At the same time it is over populated... Confused

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Re:Re: How much of your taxes is being spent on AIDS? P.S. Not-so-great post for World AIDS Day!
Dec 2, 2003 1:39AM PST

First, I didn't indicate that the money doesn't NOW have to be spent combating a serious problem but that the problem was largely AVOIDABLE through curtailing homosexual behaviors.

Second, people are "silent" largely because there is no such lack when one looks at some of the causes for getting an appearance of "less than promised". Clinton on the other hand lied when the truth would have served him better. A congenital condition apparently.

PS - it was an excellent post for AIDS Day as it points out that ignoring the REAL CAUSES contributes to the spreading problem.

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Some key words...
Nov 30, 2003 7:05AM PST

"appears to be connected" and that shows up "following the administration of fluoxetine, a drug commonly called Prozac" and was further limited by "For their study, the scientists first talked with approximately 80 sexually active men in their 20s and 30s. Among that group, they choose eight exclusively homosexual and eight exclusively heterosexual men for further study. Other men in the larger group experienced fantasies or had had sexual experiences with both men and women."

The findings -- "The heterosexual men had a much stronger response in the hypothalamus to the Prozac than did the homosexual men, a finding that suggested that men with strong sexual preferences have differences in the ways in which the neurotransmitter serotonin works in their brains." don't appear to reflect the results of the placebo ("At another time point, the researchers also administered a placebo to the men. Neither the researchers nor the subjects were aware of which substance they were given.") so off hand the study seems to indicate that Prozak users might be at risk but it certainly doesn't seem to even remotely be conclusive--just another theory...

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Re:Some key words...
Nov 30, 2003 7:50AM PST

Prozak? Do you mean Prozac?

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Re:Re:Some key words...
Nov 30, 2003 9:49AM PST

probably--that's what happens when you let your fingers do the talkin'

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Re:Re:Re:Some key words...
Nov 30, 2003 9:58AM PST

I always was told that the brain controlled the other parts of the human.

I won't begin to speak of your brain. I have not been give the green light to rattle around in it.

I hope you enjoy my humor at your expense as much as I do.

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guess I do....
Nov 30, 2003 10:34AM PST
"I hope you enjoy my humor at your expense as much as I do."

so far it hasn't cost me a thing.
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Re:Male Homosexuality related to altered brain function
Nov 30, 2003 1:27PM PST

I wonder when there is going to be a study about WHY people turn out to be heterosexual...

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well, as i read crap like this i think ''someone payed for their upkeep while they wrote it?''
Nov 30, 2003 7:09PM PST

i hate it when they spout stuff like this " The heterosexual men had a much stronger response in the hypothalamus to the Prozac than did the homosexual men, a finding that suggested that men with strong sexual preferences have differences in the ways in which the neurotransmitter serotonin works in their brains."

or

"The remarkably strong association seen in this study between hypothalamic physiology and sexual orientation underlines the promise of functional brain imaging for elucidating the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology underlying human sexual behavior and functioning,?

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Jonah, you highlighted the conclusion that made no sense to me when I read the article:
Dec 3, 2003 11:52AM PST
The heterosexual men had a much stronger response in the hypothalamus to the Prozac than did the homosexual men, a finding that suggested that men with strong sexual preferences have differences in the ways in which the neurotransmitter serotonin works in their brains.

The inference that homosexuals have a lesser sexual preference reflects bias in the person writing the report - not the facts.

Ian
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Re:Jonah, you highlighted the conclusion that made no sense to me when I read the article:
Dec 3, 2003 10:43PM PST

Hi, Ian.

I took that as poor writing -- they clearly meant "men with strong homosexual preference."
-- Dave K.
Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Re: they clearly meant ''men with strong homosexual preference.''
Dec 4, 2003 12:37AM PST

if that is so, then i say that the article has as much value as their writing skills...

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Re:it made no sense to me, that's why i hilited it
Dec 4, 2003 12:35AM PST

they took 8 gays with NO desire for a hetero relationship, and 8 heteros with NO desire for a gay relationship....(to all intents and purposes 2 groups of men with "strong sexual preferences"?????)

so you tell me (no, don't) why "this" #a finding that suggested that men with strong sexual preferences have differences in the ways in which the neurotransmitter serotonin works in their brains# made no sense to me whatsoever...

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Study based in 16 people, Dave...
Nov 30, 2003 9:05PM PST

Dave, that study compared two different "populations" of 8 people, a total study population of 16 people. Their theory was based on reaction to Prozac.
I wonder if a study of another two selected groups of eight might show a diffence if a similar experiment were done. 8 people who worked at the Department of Justice vs. 8 who worked at the Department of State, 8 who worked at Wal-Mart vs. 8 who worked for the Post Office, 8 who lived in New York vs. 8 who lived in Pheonix, 8 who live in an appartment vs. 8 who lived in houses, or other such differences.
Bottom line, in a country of approx. 180 million people, a theory based on a selected 16 of them might be called something other than "scientific". The term "a joke" comes to mind.

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Actually only on 15 people...
Dec 1, 2003 1:12AM PST

as one of the heterosexual men was dropped from the study.

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Hummm .. Sexual orientation among men. Women left out as always ;-(
Dec 1, 2003 1:37AM PST

Does anyone recall Pat Boone's superhuman efforts to help homosexual men overcome their misguided choice?

I think he build and maintained at his expense a hospital of some sorts in (VA,GA,TN?) dedicated to 'curing' the homosexuals. Ended up, the handful that appeared to be 'cured', after a time, reverted to homosexual activity. I think Pat finally admitted that just maybe homosexuals were born and not made. LOL

I don't understand these studies. What is the reason? To find a 'cure'? I mean, after all if Pat Boone couldn't do it .....

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Women in Pat Boone's program
Dec 1, 2003 5:06AM PST

In Pat Boone's trial study, all of the straight women had decreased hetero tendancies and increased lesbian tendancies after extended contact with him. He cancelled further studies.

Wink

Dan

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ROTFLOL
Dec 1, 2003 5:57AM PST

.

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Re: Good one !! And I thought it was because they were all in their right minds :-) (NT
Dec 1, 2003 10:47PM PST

.

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"Reuptake"....
Dec 1, 2003 12:35PM PST

That word used twice in the referenced site. Never saw it used before...I'm behind times...Happy

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Reuptake, it's medical.
Dec 2, 2003 2:45AM PST

The reabsorption of a neurotransmitter, such as serotonin or norepinephrine, by a neuron following impulse transmission across a synapse.

Dan

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Ahhhh....now I understand.....should have paid more attention in high school biology class. ;-) (NT)
Dec 4, 2003 12:02AM PST

.

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Maybe so, but it probably wouldn't have helped with this ...
Dec 6, 2003 1:30AM PST

My guess is that high school biology classes don't get to things like neurotransmitter re-uptake. In fact, I don't think my college general biology class touched on that. Of course that college class was "1 or 2" years ago. Actually, a bit over 2 decades ago.

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Ignoring for a moment ...
Dec 2, 2003 4:01AM PST

... the statistical and scientific methodology inadequacies for the sake of discussion, this stikes me as a huge "chicken or egg" debate.

I mean there have been studies upon studies documenting changes in the human brain based on hormone levels and activities. I mean exercising raises endorphin levels. Changes in neurotransmitter levels in the brain have been well documented in rapists, the addicted, those with eating disorders, paranoids, etc. It seems to be a wildly impulsive conclusion to draw to say that this result was the cause and not the effect.

Evie Happy

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You missed the important part.
Dec 3, 2003 4:11PM PST

Heterosexual men accounted for 10.5% of new cases, Heterosexual women for 22.5% which means something odd is going on. Not stated is whether ALL of those 22.5% of women were completely heterosexual all the time or if instead a large number of them were lesbians who had occassional encounters with HIV infected men, likely bisexual men. It seems odd that the percentage of heterosexual women contracting HIV would be so high. Basically stated, in a population of 100 people with new HIV infection, 10-11 heterosexual men versus 22-23 women become infected.

So, the question is, why such an unexpectedly high number of heterosexual women contract HIV infections?

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Could it be, James...
Dec 3, 2003 5:05PM PST

First, a warning: Pure thought/theory based on just a single mental exercise with no research and/or backing.
Could it be that the lining of the female reproductive organ, which when prepared to recieve and maintain a fertilized egg during a particular time span in a normal reproductive cycle is also at that time a suitable/ideal surface to receive and maintain a virus?

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I suspect that 'handsome' men get to spread their infections further
Dec 3, 2003 5:38PM PST

than most men, as well as their genes.

Promiscuity again in action.

Ian

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All I can say is...
Dec 4, 2003 11:37AM PST

if the statistics are accurate, then heterosexual women run a higher risk of HIV infection than heterosexual men do for some reason and I suspect those numbers are higher also due to promiscuity involving IV drug users and bisexual men. It would seem fewer men are infecting a greater number of heterosexual women. I would have expected the numbers to be reversed with men having the higher HIV infection rate.

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Even simplier reason
Dec 5, 2003 8:13AM PST

Though the idea you propose sounds reasonable.

During normal (or at least what is generally classified as normal) heterosexual unprotected sex there is a fairly substantial volume of bodily fluid transmitted into the woman. In fact, transported into what you have pointed out may be a particularly vunerable area. And not just during particular part of the reproductive cycle. A warm, dark, moist surface - sound like ideal virus/bateria breeding grounds? even inspite of the body's natural defenses.

The possibility of bodily fluids from the woman transfered to within the male body or under the skin is much less. And even when does, the volume would be significantly less.

roger