Sexual orientation and the auditory system.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing human observational markers and animal mechanistic studies.
PubMed 21310172 · doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2011.02.001
What was done
This review examined human and animal literature assessing physiological differences in the auditory system—specifically otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) and auditory evoked potentials (AEPs)—associated with biological sex, sexual orientation, and prenatal exposure to androgenic or anti-androgenic agents.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical metrics or sample sizes. Directionally, it notes that OAEs are weaker in newborn human males than females (a difference persisting across life) and weaker in nonheterosexual females compared to heterosexual females. AEPs also demonstrate sex differences from early life, with distinct AEP patterns observed between heterosexual and nonheterosexual females, as well as between heterosexual and nonheterosexual males. Animal studies demonstrated that prenatal androgen exposure late in gestation masculinizes OAEs.
Why it matters
The findings synthesize physiological evidence indicating that prenatal hormonal exposure, particularly to androgens, may simultaneously shape early auditory system development and sexual orientation.
Limits
The abstract contains no quantitative effect sizes, statistical parameters, sample sizes, or study selection criteria. Auditory markers are indirect, post-natal proxies for early fetal hormone exposure rather than direct longitudinal measurements of in utero endocrine levels.
Cited by
- supports Females produce more spontaneous otoacoustic emissions than males, a sex difference that is already present at birth.