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Sex Ratio of Older Siblings in Heterosexual and Homosexual, Right-Handed and Non-Right-Handed Men

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Abstract

This study investigated why older brothers, which increase the odds of homosexuality in later-born males who are right-handed, have no effect or the opposite effect on later-born males who are non-right-handed. The specific question was whether the different results for the non-right-handed men have to do with the heterosexual non-right-handers or the homosexual non-right-handers. The human sex ratio at birth (106 males per 100 females) was used as a gold standard for determining which groups differ from the general population and in which direction. All usable data from previous studies were combined to obtain the largest possible sample (N = 8,201). The observed ratio of older brothers to older sisters was 105 for the heterosexual right-handers, 128 for the homosexual right-handers, 127 for the heterosexual non-right-handers, and 96 for the homosexual non-right-handers. The ratios for the homosexual right-handers and the heterosexual non-right-handers differed significantly from the expected value. These results suggest that both heterosexual and homosexual non-right-handers contribute to the older brothers × handedness × sexual orientation interaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Law and Mental Health Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada

    Ray Blanchard

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Ray Blanchard

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  1. Ray Blanchard
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Correspondence to Ray Blanchard.

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Blanchard, R. Sex Ratio of Older Siblings in Heterosexual and Homosexual, Right-Handed and Non-Right-Handed Men. Arch Sex Behav 37, 977–981 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-006-9119-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-006-9119-2

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