Homosexual behaviour may have evolved to promote social bonding in humans, accor

ding to new research.

The results of a preliminary study provide the first evidence that our need to b
ond with others increases our openness to engaging in homosexual behaviour.
Dr Diana Fleischman, of the University of Portsmouth, and colleagues examined th
e relationship between progesterone and sexual attitudes to explore the role tha
t homosexual behaviour may have played in cementing alliances over the course of
human evolution.
Their research is published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
They found that heterosexual women who have higher levels of progesterone are mo
re likely to be open to the idea of engaging in sexual behaviour with other wome
n. Similarly, when heterosexual men are subtly reminded of the importance of hav
ing male friends and allies, they report more positive attitudes toward engaging
in sexual behaviour with other men. This pattern is particularly dramatic in me
n who have high levels of progesterone.
The hormone progesterone is known to contribute to the formation of social bonds
, which have many adaptive benefits for humans. The hormone is produced mainly i
n the ovaries in women and in the adrenal glands in men. It is one of the main h
ormones responsible for caring or friendly behaviour and levels rise when people
have close and friendly interactions. Women s levels of progesterone peak after o
vulation when the chance of becoming pregnant is dramatically reduced.
Dr Fleischman said: From an evolutionary perspective we tend to think of sexual b
ehaviour as a means to an end for reproduction. However, because sexual behaviou
r is intimate and pleasurable, it is also used in many species, including non-hu
man primates, to help form and maintain social bonds. We can all see this in rom
antic couples who bond by engaging in sexual behaviour even when reproduction is
not possible.
The results of our study are compelling because using two very different methods,
they arrived at the same conclusion. Women were more likely to be motivated to
think about homosexual sex when their levels of progesterone were higher. Compar
ed to a control group, men s homoerotic motivation was not increased by priming th
em with sex but thinking about friendship and bonding caused a measurable change
in their attitude to the idea of having sex with other men.
Having homoerotic thoughts does not necessarily mean they would be acted upon.
Dr Fleischman, an expert in the influences of hormones on the psychology of wome
n, was studying the effect of progesterone on attitudes towards homosexuality. S
he questioned whether progesterone, a hormone that has been shown to increase mo
tivation to form close bonds, might also underlie the motivation to affiliate wi
th those of the same sex, sexually.
The researchers first developed a measure of homoerotic motivation through an on
line survey of 244 participants, with questions including: The idea of kissing a
person of the same sex is sexually arousing to me and If someone of the same sex m
ade a pass at me I would be disgusted . The researchers then measured progesterone
in 92 women s saliva and found that as progesterone increased so too did openness
to the idea of engaging in homosexual activity.
In the next study, the researchers measured levels of progesterone in the saliva
of 59 men
before all were randomly assigned to one of three groups and asked
to complete word completion puzzles, one using friendship words, one using sexu
al words, and a third using neutral words. Men asked to complete the affiliative

/friendship word puzzle showed 26 per cent greater homoerotic motivation compare
d to the men in the sexual or neutral conditions. In addition, those men with th
e highest progesterone in the affiliative condition showed 41 per cent greater h
omoerotic motivation compared to high progesterone men in the other two groups.
Studies of other animals in the great ape family also point to homosexual behavi
our being used to maintain and forge new friendships.
Dr Fleischman said: Humans are among a group of animals who have sex for many rea
sons, not just to reproduce. Reasons can include pleasure, a reward, a way of s
aying please be nice to me or exerting dominance. It s very complex, but it s clear th
ere s a continuum between affection and sexuality and sexuality is fluidity, that
is, the ability to engage sexually with those of the same sex or the opposite se
x is common. In humans, much, if not most of same-sex sexual behaviour occurs in
those who don t identify as homosexual.
The researchers will now explore other contexts and hormonal influences that cou
ld increase homoerotic motivation in men and women. They are also interested in
seeing how bisexual people might react differently to social cues.