Sexual orientation modulates endocrine stress reactivity.
Title | Sexual orientation modulates endocrine stress reactivity. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2015 |
Authors | Juster R-P, Hatzenbuehler ML, Mendrek A, Pfaus JG, Smith NGrant, Johnson PJai, Lefebvre-Louis J-P, Raymond C, Marin M-F, Sindi S, Lupien SJ, Pruessner JC |
Journal | Biol Psychiatry |
Volume | 77 |
Issue | 7 |
Pagination | 668-76 |
Date Published | 2015 Apr 1 |
ISSN | 1873-2402 |
Keywords | Adult, Aging, Bisexuality, Estradiol, Female, Heterosexuality, Homosexuality, Female, Homosexuality, Male, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Progesterone, Saliva, Self Concept, Sex Characteristics, Stress, Psychological, Testosterone, Young Adult |
Abstract | BACKGROUND: Biological sex differences and sociocultural gender diversity influence endocrine stress reactivity. Although numerous studies have shown that men typically activate stronger stress responses than women when exposed to laboratory-based psychosocial stressors, it is unclear whether sexual orientation further modulates stress reactivity. Given that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals frequently report heightened distress secondary to stigma-related stressors, we investigated whether cortisol stress reactivity differs between LGB individuals and heterosexual individuals in response to a well-validated psychosocial stressor.METHODS: The study population comprised 87 healthy adults (mean age, 25 years) who were grouped according to their biological sex and their gendered sexual orientation: lesbian/bisexual women (n = 20), heterosexual women (n = 21), gay/bisexual men (n = 26), and heterosexual men (n = 20). Investigators collected 10 salivary cortisol samples throughout a 2-hour afternoon visit involving exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test modified to maximize between-sex differences.RESULTS: Relative to heterosexual women, lesbian/bisexual women showed higher cortisol stress reactivity 40 min after exposure to the stressor. In contrast, gay/bisexual men displayed lower overall cortisol concentrations throughout testing compared with heterosexual men. Main findings were significant while adjusting for sex hormones (estradiol-to-progesterone ratio in women and testosterone in men), age, self-esteem, and disclosure status (whether LGB participants had completed their "coming out").CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide novel evidence for gender-based modulation of cortisol stress reactivity based on sexual orientation that goes beyond well-established between-sex differences. This study raises several important avenues for future research related to the physiologic functioning of LGB populations and gender diversity more broadly. |
DOI | 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.08.013 |
Alternate Journal | Biol. Psychiatry |
PubMed ID | 25444167 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC4434405 |
Grant List | 222055 / / Canadian Institutes of Health Research / Canada K01 DA032558 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States K01 DA032558 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States SIA 95402 / / Canadian Institutes of Health Research / Canada |