title: Sexual orientations of women with polycystic ovary syndrome: clinical observation in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to explore the association between sexual orientations and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-related parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study with participants recruited from the regular outpatient clinic at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan between July 2012 and December 2013 was carried out. A total of 97 women met the criterion of having been diagnosed with PCOS. Among these 97 women, 89 were heterosexuals and eight were self-identified as lesbians. At the same time, 78 women without PCOS were enrolled to serve as the control group. Participants were given a standard questionnaire and had blood withdrawn for biochemical analysis of androgen parameters--including total testosterone, androstenedione, sex hormone binding globulin, free androgen index, 17β-estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone, and follicular-stimulating hormone. The biochemical data were measured to compare the PCOS clinical parameters present in people of different sexual orientations (lesbians and heterosexuals).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The women with PCOS, regardless of sexual orientation, had higher percentages and serum levels of hyperandrogenism-related clinical parameters than the women without PCOS [acne (87.5% and 60.7% vs. 23.1%), p < 0.001]; hirsutism (62.5% and 57.3% vs. 15.4%, p ≤ 0.001)]; and biochemical parameters (total T, p < 0.05 or p < 0.001, and luteinizing hormone/follicular-stimulating hormone ratio, p ≤ 0.001]. The sexual orientation of women with PCOS affected their body mass index (BMI), because lesbians with PCOS possessed higher BMI than heterosexual women with PCOS (26.5 ± 1.9 vs. 22.5 ± 0.55; p < 0.05). However, hyperandrogenism-related clinical and biochemical parameters were not significantly different statistically between women with PCOS but of different sexual orientations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary data showed that sexual orientation influenced the BMI of women with PCOS, but did not affect hyperandrogenism-related clinical or biochemical characteristics. This observation requires further confirmation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate School of Human Sexuality, Shu-Te University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, School of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Peng-Hui
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Taipei Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Meng-Ti
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chii-Ruey
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Hsuan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Human Sexuality, Shu-Te University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-San
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Human Sexuality, Shu-Te University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: hychang@tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Heng-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Taiwan; heterosexual; lesbian; polycystic ovary syndrome; sexual orientation