Sexuality: Your Telltale Fingertips

[kweerwolf]

Look down at your right hand. Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Or vice versa? To be certain, take a ruler and measure from the bottom crease of each finger to the tip.

The measurements tell you something about the environment of your mother's womb just weeks after your conception, a time when your fingers, and more importantly, your brain, were developing. Because of the influx of sex hormones at this prenatal stage, men tend to have ring fingers that are slightly longer than their index fingers. In women, these fingers are usually the same length or the index digit is just a bit longer.

Digits are subtly affected by testosterone and estrogen produced in the womb by the fetus (not by the mother). Between weeks 8 and 14, tiny fetal testes, ovaries and adrenal glands secrete the baby's own supply of sex hormones. These chemical messengers, particularly testosterone, cause chain reactions in the body, spurring the growth of the genitals, encouraging and inhibiting growth in brain regions and causing changes in the fingers. Many scientists believe relative finger length—or digit ratio—is a marker for brain differences molded by hormones. Like a bit of prenatal graffiti, a longer ring finger says, "Testosterone was here."

<snip>

Some scientists believe prenatal sex hormones are also part of the puzzle of homosexuality and that a high level of testosterone may wire the brain for attraction to the same sex. Intriguingly, research shows that a prenatal testosterone level is most strongly linked to homosexuality in women, according to a recent article in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. Lesbians are more likely than straight women to have a masculine finger ratio, says McFadden.

http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20050614-000004.html

[Carolab]

1. My ring finger is longer than my index finger and I'm not lesbian.

In fact, I am a "raging" heterosexual.

But, I am pretty aggressive and have a lot of what some might call "masculine personality traits".

[kweerwolf]

2. "Raging" heterosexual? ... LOL! I like that!

In your case, "masculinity" may be just a behavioral trait. That's the problem with studying something as complex as sexuality. There are undoubtedly other factors that go into determining sexual orientation.

I remember reading somewhere that a sizeable percent of the population may have "predispositions" for same-sex attraction from a genetic standpoint, but only about 6 to 8 percent of the population are actually oriented toward same-sex behavior.

It's a complicated subject ... certainly much more so that the fundies who would have us believe it's a choice. I'm not sure we'll ever know all the factors that go into determining sexual orientation.

[Chovexani]

3. And once again, no one gives a damn about bisexuals

Are my fingers all the same size, then? :eyes:

I can't believe this is what passes for science nowadays.

(I'm feeling a little testy today about this stuff, sorry)

[Meldread]

4. This is old news.

I heard about this several years ago. I remember it clearly because it was reported on the local news, and I was watching it with a group of people. As soon as the segment ended everyone was looking down at their hands, including the news anchors -- it was a rather humorous moment.