HOMOSEXUAL WOMEN: AN ENDOCRINE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract
SUMMARY Forty-two members of a Lesbian organization volunteered to participate in a study designed to seek organic abnormalities. Urinary levels of oestrone, oestradiol, oestriol, pregnanediol, 17-oxosteroids, 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, testosterone and epitestosterone were determined. No consistent pattern of hormonal abnormality emerged. Thirty-seven of the subjects completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory and 39 completed a questionnaire. The mean neuroticism score for the group was significantly higher and the mean extraversion score was significantly lower than in the normal population. This finding of dysthymia was reflected to some extent by the high incidence of past psychiatric treatment for anxiety and/or depression.