Sexual behavior in adolescent and adult females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
As part of a comprehensive interview study, 34 female patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) plus 14 control sisters (ages 11-41 yr.) reported on their psychosexual development and sexual orientation (90 items). Fewer patients than sisters had ever experienced love relationships and sexual activities with male partners (p < 0.05 to 0.001). Twenty percent of the patients and none of the sisters wished for and/or had had homosexual relationships; in the patients > 21 yr 44% expressed this interest (p < 0.07). For most items, patients with the salt-wasting variant of CAH (SW) differed more clearly from the sisters than the simple-virilizing patients (SV). For two scales "indicating" homosexual (HOM) and heterosexual orientation (HET) and for two indices of HOM/HET differences), the patients also revealed relatively stronger homosexual and/or weaker heterosexual interests than the sisters (p < 0.05 to 0.001). Here, too, the SW/sister differences were more clear-cut. These results corroborate earlier reports on both delays in reaching psychosexual milestones and increased rates of bisexual/homosexual fantasies and experiences in CAH women.
Dittmann
R W
RW
Psychosomatic Department, Children's Hospital, University of Hamburg, Germany.
Kappes
M E
ME
Kappes
M H
MH
D000293:Adolescent; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003075:Coitus / Q000502:physiology; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009948:Orgasm / Q000502:physiology; D011606:Psychosexual Development / Q000502:physiology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology*