Preventing homosexuality in utero: Could we? Would we? Should we?

[Shana A]

Preventing homosexuality in utero: Could we? Would we? Should we?
July 2, 2010 |  7:00 am
Melissa Healy

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/07/preventing-homosexuality-in-utero-could-we-would-we-should-we-1.html

A workhorse drug that's been around for decades has, in recent weeks, stirred up a biomedical debate that will likely resonate with any parent who's ever asked him or herself: If I could prevent my child from being gay, would I?
Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid that has been widely used in the treatment of arthritis, of intestinal, kidney and thyroid disease, in certain kinds of cancers. It's also been prescribed to — and used by — pregnant women carrying female babies who are at genetic risk of a condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or CAH.

Children born with the genetic anomaly will need a lifetime of medication to ensure their normal growth, sexual development and reproductive function. But for girls, one manifestation of CAH is evident at birth: her external genitalia will look more masculine than feminine. The resulting person used to be called a hermaphrodite. The preferred term now is intersex, a condition of gender ambiguity that can be caused by a number of different conditions.

[spacial]

On reading, this sounds like a piece of sensationalist garbage.

The drug, it is claimed, will prevent ambiguous genitalia.

I doubt many could object to that.

Then the reported side effect, that it reduces the incidence of apparent homosexual feelings in these girls.

That is specious.

The causes of homosexuality are not clear. Claims that it is genetic are unfounded and only really gained ground when President Clinton was trying to find some sort of scientific justification to force the US military to stop discriminating against homosexuals.

The claim that this drug might be used to prevent young girls from possibly becoming homosexual is nonsense.

If a female fetus has otherwise normal genital development, then what possible indication is there that she will become homosexual?

But the claim that babies with this condition become homosexual women is wrong. Many of these children grow up asking to be treated as women.