Hormonell bedingte Homosexualität im Experiment und ihre Beseitigung durch Hypothalamusläsionen

Summary

The film illustrates the following animal experiments, among others:

• 1. Male rats which have been castrated on the day of birth are given, when they are adults, injections of androgens or implantations of testes. They respond by sexual activity which is significantly more frequent with partners of the same sex than with females (experimental model of neuro-endocrinologically conditioned male homosexuality).

• 2. In male rats which have been castrated soon after birth, a single androgen injection on the third day of life completely prevents the development of this hormonally conditioned homosexuality.

• 3. Female rats androgenised soon after birth, and treated with further androgens after puberty, display predominantly masculine sexual behaviour with female partners (neuro-endocrinologically conditioned female homosexuality).

• 4. The androgenised females mount even males which have been castrated at birth and later treated with androgens, and these males display lordosis (total inversion of sexual behaviour).

• 5. Male homosexuality which has been induced neuro-endocrinologically can be to a great extent reversed by electrolytic lesions in the central hypothalamus (nucleus ventromedialis). This treatment also causes some increase of heterosexual activity.

Finally an attempt is made to relate these experimental findings in animals to the special conditions of man, with a view to working out the possible neuro-endocrine pathogenesis, prophylaxis and treatment of innate sexual deviations.