Biopsychosocial Factors Associated with Homosexuality and Other Types of Sexual Orientation

Abstract

It has been estimated that about 9% of the world population belongs to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population, with a significant under-reporting in many of the countries, due to cultural, religious, and violence reasons. In Mexico, more than five million people belong to this community, and are subject to stigmatization and discrimination. There is little published scientific evidence regarding biological factors that contribute to the development of sexual orientation, among these are hormonal, genetic or immunological influences.
Psychosexual development has been described by addressing the interactions of individuals with society, and their effects on mental health. There is no clear evidence of the origin of the differences in the development of sexual identity, and orientation, which may be multifactorial. The lack of social acceptance and understanding generates accentuated risks in physical, and mental health
within the lgbt community, leading individuals to present more frequently psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and even suicide attempts; given the above, the objective of this work was to analyze the associated factors with sexual behavior in the lgbt population, and its effects on mental health.