PART E

What Causes a Person to have a Particular Sexual Orientation?

There are numerous theories about the origins of a person’s sexual orientation; most scientists today agree that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive, and biological factors. In most people, sexual orientation is shaped at an early age. Considerable recent evidence suggests that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, plays a significant role in a person’s sexuality. To recognize that there are probably many reasons for a person’s sexual orientation is important, and the reasons may be different for different people.