Contents:
- Medical Video: Nature or Nurture - Are People Born Gay?
- Homosexuality is not a mental disorder
- Why can someone be gay?
- Is gay contagious?
- Making friends with gays won't make you gay
Medical Video: Nature or Nurture - Are People Born Gay?
The rise of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) issues that are emerging today invites a big question. Can LGBT or gay behavior be transmitted to others? Because the public is worried that accepting the LGBT community means more people will become infected and eventually become gay. Now, now is the time to explore the myth of whether gay is contagious.
Homosexuality is not a mental disorder
There are still many misunderstandings that people believe about homosexuality. One of them is homosexuality is a mental disorder. However, medically homosexuality is not classified as a psychiatric disorder. In the past homosexuality was considered a disorder. However, in 1973 the United States Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the mental disorder category in the fifth edition of the Psychiatric Classification Guidelines (PPDGJ).
In Indonesia, homosexuals are classified as people at risk for mental disorders (undiagnosed mental disorders). According to the chairman of the Indonesian Association of Mental Medicine Specialists (PDSKJI), dr. Danardi Sosrosumihardjo, SpKJ this category is the same as victims of natural disasters. Not that they have a mental disorder, but they are only prone to mental disorders due to social pressure and severe situations that must be faced.
Why can someone be gay?
Homosexuality, just like heterosexuality (liking the opposite sex) is sexual orientation. From various studies throughout the world, it is known that sexual orientation can be formed since the womb, which is when you are still a fetus.
There is a special genetic code that distinguishes homosexuals from heterosexuals, namely Xq28. Although it is not certain that this gene determines one's sexual orientation, the researchers concluded that this genetic code still has an important role in the formation of human sexual identity.
Other studies have shown that homosexual brain structures tend to be different from heterosexuals. The front of the heterosexual hypothalamus is almost twice as large as homosexuals. This is because the brain nerves in the hypothalamus of a homosexual are denser while the nerves of the heterosexual brain tend to be tenuous.
Experts also see that differences in hormone levels can make a person tend to like the opposite sex, same-sex, or both. However, hormone therapy cannot change it to "normal" again. Because the difference in this hormone reaction occurs in the brain. So injecting hormones can never change human sexual orientation.
Is gay contagious?
No, you cannot contract or transmit homosexuality. Even if you have a close friend or gay family member, you won't be gay if you don't have homosexual potential biologically.
A study that took place from 1994 to 2002 revealed that homosexuality did not spread in the association of teenagers in the United States and Britain. The study, published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, managed to break the myth that being friends with gay people or lesbians would make someone gay.
Making friends with gays won't make you gay
Reporting from Kompas, Dr. Roslan Yusni Hasan, Sp. BS a neurosurgeon from Mayapada Hospital confirmed that sexual orientation cannot be transmitted. People think that getting along with gay people will make them gay too. Even though according to Dr. Roslan is only because the person basically has biological gay talent. Then he will hang out with people who are in the same boat or think about him.
In people who have had homosexual talent from birth, he then found similarities with other homosexual people. This makes him more confident and comfortable with his identity. Over time he can accept and acknowledge that he is indeed born gay. This is why many people mistakenly think that gay is contagious.
If you have no talent for homosexual genes, there is no need to worry about whether gay is contagious. Sexual orientation will not change just because you associate with a homosexual. Similarly, you who are heterosexual cannot transmit your orientation to homosexual people. As explained by Dr. Roslan, sexual orientation cannot be changed because it is unnecessary. Being a homosexual is not a mistake, but a diversity.
