A prenatal pill prescribed to women expecting daughters with a rare genetic disorder, could reduce the chance of their children becoming lesbians, according to research.
The finding has caused outrage among bioethicists and gay and lesbian groups, who claim that doctors are performing the risky treatment on female foetuses to prevent homosexuality in the womb.
Currently, the treatment may only affect the dozens of girls born with the rare condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) each year.

A number of bioethicists said a hormonal treatment for a rare genetic disorder was the first instance clinicians had actively tried to prevent homosexuality in the womb
But there are fears it could lead to the social engineering of sexual orientation.
CAH causes an accumulation in male hormones – and, in females, can make it difficult to tell what gender they actually are.
Although their internal organs develop normally they also develop abnormal external genitalia and go on to exhibit characteristics such as a deep voice and excessive body hair.

Under fire: Dr Maria New of the Mount Sinai School Of Medicine has been accused of having a hidden agenda to ‘prevent’ lesbianism
Medics, including Dr Maria New of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, have championed a hormonal treatment that prevents the ambiguous genitalia developing in the womb – sparing the need for surgery later in life.
But it is not without its side effects – including potentially having a dramatic impact on a person’s sexual orientation.
Opponents accused Dr New of having a hidden agenda to ‘prevent’ lesbianism after she noted those with CAH were more likely to be gay and be interested in ‘masculine’ careers.
Dr New released a statement denying the charges.
She said: ‘In my six years at Mount Sinai I have not administered the drug to any woman for the purpose of treating an unborn child.
‘Allegations that my goal is to prevent lesbianism are completely untrue.’
The LA Times reported that Dr New’s more recent studies on the treatment, using the steroid dexamethasone, resulted in girls who behave in ways that are considered more traditionally feminine.
The report quoted a 2008 study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior in which Dr New questioned 143 women with CAH who had not been treated prenatally.
The study found that most of the women were heterosexual – but that the rates of homosexuality and bisexuality were far higher in women with the condition when compared to a control group.
The report then cited a paper published earlier this year in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences by Dr New and her colleagues.
In that study Dr New found that, in 685 pregnancies, those girls with the condition who were received the prenatal steroid were more traditionally feminine.
The study also showed that those without the prenatal therapy made more masculine-related choices both as children at play and in later careers and lifestyle choices.

Outrage: Professor Alice Dreger of Northwestern University said Dr New was ‘actively trying to prevent homosexuality’
‘The majority, no matter how severe, are heterosexual,’ Dr Heino Meyer-Bahlburg, professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, who has collaborated with New on some of the studies, told the LA Times.
‘But the rate of CAH women attracted to females increases with their degree of androgen exposure during prenatal life.’
Professor Alice Dreger at Northwestern University described Dr New’s work as the first time in history that ‘clinicians are actively trying to prevent homosexuality.’
‘Her main goal has been to prevent ambiguous genitalia and all the things that come with it, including what she calls ‘behavourial masculinisation’ Dr Dreger said.
Dr Dreger added that the Maria New Children’s Hormone Foundation website said Dr New had treated over 600 pregnant women at risk for the birth of a CAH-affected child, but not what treatment she had used.
Dr New has also been accused of recommending the strong steroid dexamethasone without revealing to parents that it is highly experimental.
Opponents also said the steroid treatment does not address the underlying condition behind CAH, caused by a defective enzyme in the adrenal gland.
A number of major medical societies are now drafting guidelines on the use of the hormone, which will be published in a consensus paper in September’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The guidelines are expected to highlight the experimental nature of the treatment and warn that it can cause low birth weight and defects such as a cleft palate.
But Dr Phyllis Speiser, who is helping draft the document, said the guidelines are not concerned with aspects of sexuality.
‘Our main concern is the long-term safety to the foetus,’ he told Bloomberg Businessweek.
Dr Dreger and her colleagues are concerned that medical attempts to prevent homosexuality will arise in the future if sexual orientation is found to be determined by human biology.
‘Evidence that homosexual orientation is inborn, could very well lead to new means of pathologisation [treating it like a medical condition] and prevention,’ they warned in a recent paper.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1303534/Doctors-accused-trying-prevent-homosexuality-womb-experimental-steroid.html#ixzz0wyG925Vw

Thanks Katherine, I try.

The following is provided for information purposes only. If you believe you have a medical condition requiring treatment, please consult a qualified physician.

Two years ago, my doctor ordered routine blood tests as a part of my yearly check-up, and the lab mistakenly measured 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP). Although I am an adult male, my 17-OHP level is in the prepubertal range without evidence of a clinical disease.

17-OHP is considered to be a precursor of both testosterone (T) and cortisol. It is rarely, if ever, measured in men, and is primarily evaluated during pregnancy, or during the diagnostic workup for female infertility and congenital adrenal hyperplasia in children. If a man’s T level is normal, 17-OHP is assumed to be normal. Although my testosterone (T) level is normal, 17-OHP is abnormal and my ratio of 17-OHP to T is 0.02. For men with normal testicular function the ratio is 0.24 +/- 0.08 (J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1978 Nov;47(5):1144-7; Basal and human chorionic gonadotropin-stimulated 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone levels in Klinefelter’s syndrome).

Low 17-OHP levels are associated with combat stress, old age, steroid abuse; disorders such as Addison’s disease, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, adrenal exhaustion, hypogonadism; and various intersex disorders such 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency and Klinefelter’s syndrome, a genetic condition characterized by an XXY chromosome pattern.

Both T and 17-OHP dramatically increase in males before and after birth. During the first 1-2 months of life, these hormones surge to adult levels during a period know as the “mini puberty” of infancy. Research suggests that exposure to prenatal stress can disrupted the surge in these hormones during critical phases of brain development.

Studies show that exogenous T increases a man’s sex drive without changing his sexual orientation. Although it is well established that T is necessary for the development of male secondary sex characteristics, low, high or normal T levels alone do not determine a man’s sexual orientation.

Again, it is interesting to note that both T AND 17-OHP surge simultaneously during the prenatal, postnatal, and adolescent periods of male sexual development. This seems to suggest that T may work together with either 17-OHP or some other hormone for which 17-OHP is a precursor, perhaps epitestosterone (EpiT). Too much or too little T in the absence of corresponding levels 17-OHP or EpiT in the blood may result in a homosexual orientation. It is possible that an imbalance between 17-OHP and T or T and EpiT may distinguish homosexual from heterosexual men. Currently, EpiT is only measured in urine for the purpose of detect illicit anabolic steroid use by athletes.

I worked with my doctor for a year before finding that the vitamin that balances my hormones is pyridoxine or vitamin B6, often referred to as the “anti-stress vitamin.” Although my vitamin B6 level is normal, B6 at 150-200 mg per day for one month normalizes my 17-OHP level, while raising the ratio of 17-OHP to T from a baseline of 0.02 to 0.17. However, after a month without therapy my levels return to baseline.

It is well established that steroid hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, exert their effects in the body by binding to steroid hormone receptors in the nucleus of the cell and altering gene transcription. Interestingly, the bioactive form of vitamin B6, pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP) binds to steroid receptors in a manner that inhibits the binding of steroid hormones, thus decreasing their effects. Consequently, increased binding of PLP to steroid receptors for estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and other steroid hormones may explain why mega doses vitamin B6 correct my hormone imbalance.

I encourage anyone who believes there is a biological basis for his same-sex attraction to have his T, progesterone and 17-OHP levels measured. If you are unable to find a doctor to do so, or privacy is an issue, order the tests yourself through a direct access laboratory such as EconoLabs or Health Tests Direct.

My doctor always obtained both baseline and post-therapy early morning (8:00 AM), fasting blood samples. Recent vitamin, mineral, and prescription drug intake may compromise the accuracy of results. I eliminated them from my diet for at least two weeks prior to any blood test.

The Postnatal Gonadotropin and Sex Steroid Surge—Insights from the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 87, No. 1 24-28

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/short/87/1/24

To date, there are no published, peer-reviewed studies of 17-OHP levels or 17-OHP to T ratios in homosexual males.
Homosexuality is not a disease. Many heterosexuals also experience same-sex attraction. There are three questions here:

1) Does vitamin B6 influence hormone levels?

2) Do 17-OHP levels and/or 17-OHP to T ratios distinguish homosexual from heterosexual males?

3) If such a difference exists, does vitamin B6 influence hormone levels and/or brain regions associated with sexual orientation?

There are no published studies on the effect of vitamins on sexual orientation.

The following is provided for information purposes only. If you believe you have a medical condition requiring treatment, please consult a qualified physician.

Two years ago, my doctor ordered routine blood tests as a part of my yearly check-up, and the lab mistakenly measured 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP). Although I am an adult male, my 17-OHP level is in the prepubertal range without evidence of a clinical disease.

17-OHP is considered to be a precursor of both testosterone (T) and cortisol. It is rarely, if ever, measured in men, and is primarily evaluated during pregnancy, or during the diagnostic workup for female infertility and congenital adrenal hyperplasia in children. If a man’s T level is normal, 17-OHP is assumed to be normal. Although my testosterone (T) level is normal, 17-OHP is abnormal and my ratio of 17-OHP to T is 0.02. For men with normal testicular function the ratio is 0.24 +/- 0.08 (J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1978 Nov;47(5):1144-7; Basal and human chorionic gonadotropin-stimulated 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone levels in Klinefelter’s syndrome).

Low 17-OHP levels are associated with combat stress, old age, steroid abuse; disorders such as Addison’s disease, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, adrenal exhaustion, hypogonadism; and various intersex disorders such 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency and Klinefelter’s syndrome, a genetic condition characterized by XXY chromosome pattern.

Both T and 17-OHP dramatically increase in males before and after birth. During the first 1-2 months of life, these hormones surge to adult levels during a period know as the “mini puberty” of infancy. Research suggests that exposure to prenatal stress can disrupted the surge in these hormones during critical phases of brain development.

Studies show that exogenous T increases a man’s sex drive without changing his sexual orientation. Although it is well established that T is necessary for the development of male secondary sex characteristics, low, high or normal T levels alone do not determine a man’s sexual orientation.

Again, it is interesting to note that both T AND 17-OHP surge simultaneously during the prenatal, postnatal, and adolescent periods of male sexual development. This seems to suggest that T may work together with either 17-OHP or some other hormone for which 17-OHP is a precursor, perhaps epitestosterone (EpiT). Too much or too little T in the absence of corresponding levels 17-OHP or EpiT in the blood may result in a homosexual orientation. It is possible that an imbalance between 17-OHP and T or T and EpiT may distinguish homosexual from heterosexual men. Currently, EpiT is only measured in urine for the purpose of detect illicit anabolic steroid use by athletes.

I worked with my doctor for a year before finding that the vitamin that balances my hormones is pyridoxine or vitamin B6, often referred to as the “anti-stress vitamin.” Although my vitamin B6 level is normal, B6 at 150-200 mg per day for one month normalizes my 17-OHP level, while raising the ratio of 17-OHP to T from a baseline of 0.02 to 0.17. However, after a month without therapy my levels return to baseline.

It is well established that steroid hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, exert their effects in the body by binding to steroid hormone receptors in the nucleus of the cell and altering gene transcription. Interestingly, the bioactive form of vitamin B6, pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP) binds to steroid receptors in a manner that inhibits the binding of steroid hormones, thus decreasing their effects. Consequently, increased binding of PLP to steroid receptors for estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and other steroid hormones may explain why mega doses vitamin B6 correct my hormone imbalance.

I encourage anyone who believes there is a biological basis for his same-sex attraction to have his T, progesterone and 17-OHP levels measured. If you are unable to find a doctor to do so, or privacy is an issue, order the tests yourself through a direct access laboratory such as EconoLabs or Health Tests Direct.

My doctor always obtained both baseline and post-therapy early morning (8:00 AM), fasting blood samples. Recent vitamin, mineral, and prescription drug intake may compromise the accuracy of results. I eliminated them from my diet for at least two weeks prior to any blood test.

The Postnatal Gonadotropin and Sex Steroid Surge—Insights from the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 87, No. 1 24-28

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/short/87/1/24

To date, there are no published, peer-reviewed studies of 17-OHP levels and 17-OHP to T ratios in homosexual males.
Homosexuality is not a disease. Many heterosexuals also experience same-sex attraction. There are three questions here:

1) Does vitamin B6 influence hormone levels?

2) Do 17-OHP levels and/or 17-OHP to T ratios distinguish homosexual from heterosexual males?

3) If such a difference exists, does vitamin B6 influence hormone levels and/or brain regions associated with sexual orientation?
There are no published studies on the effect of vitamins on sexual orientation.
Androsterone/Etiocholanolone Ratios in Male Homosexuals

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1586258&blobtype=pdf