REVIEW article
Front. Behav. Neurosci.
Sec. Individual and Social Behaviors
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1574713
Biological, Genetic, Neurological and Environmental Influences on Homosexuality – A Narrative Review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, El-Koura, North Governorate, Lebanon
- 2Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Balamand, Kalhat, El Koura, Lebanon
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Homosexuality is an intricate and multifactorial phenomenon affected by the interaction of biological, genetic, neurological and environmental factors. This paper examines the interplay of homosexuality determinants. Biological determinants such as the role of androgen levels, the fraternal birth order effect and maternal immune response contribute to shaping sexual orientation. Additionally, genetic influences are also assessed. These include the potential role of X chromosome, the possible link of fragile X mental retardation neighbor gene (FMR1) to sexual orientation, the function of genetic variants such as COMT an MTHFR, as well as connection with chromosomes 7, 8, 13 and 14. Furthermore, neurologic factors such as the role of the hypothalamus are assessed to highlight their contribution to sexual preference and attraction mediation. Lastly, childhood gender nonconformity and early exposure to traumatic events are among the environmental influences that contribute to the development of homosexuality. By incorporating various perspectives, this paper seeks to present a thorough overview of the multiple factors influencing sexual orientation, while emphasizing the importance of ongoing interdisciplinary research in this area.
Keywords: Homosexuality, LGBT, Biological Factors, environmental factors, neurologic factors, genetic factors, sexual orientation
Received: 11 Feb 2025; Accepted: 20 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Agha, Antoun, Bacha, Nabbout and El Khoury. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Noura B. El Khoury, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Balamand, Kalhat, El Koura, Lebanon
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